


Stuck in the Middle With You

by duhkotah_writes



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Architect!Jaime, As Close to Angst as I’ve Ever Written at Least, Daenerys Targaryen as Meredith Blake, Designer!Sansa, F/M, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Minor Character Death, Miscommunication, Occasional Explicit Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Pining, Scheming, Slow Burn, The Author Likes to Drop the F-Bomb, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:28:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24676156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duhkotah_writes/pseuds/duhkotah_writes
Summary: This is the story of how Catelyn Lannister and Joanna Stark, twins seperated and raised on opposite ends of the continent, finally meet and get their parents back together.Or; The Parent Trap AU that literally no one asked for.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Sansa Stark
Comments: 24
Kudos: 50





	1. It Started so Fast, it Ended So Fast

**Author's Note:**

> Oops, I did it again.  
> I watched The Parent Trap (1998), obviously, and couldn't get this idea out of my head. So, yeah, Parent Trap AU. Pretty self explanitory. Thanks for giving it a click, hope you like it

Sansa Stark meets Jaime Lannister on a cruise of the Free Cities. Sansa is twenty-one and recently graduated from White Harbor University, the known world is at her fingertips and she celebrates by exploring a corner of it she had always been curious about.

She meets Jaime her first night aboard, in line for the buffet, she could feel his eyes on her as she made her plate. As she's exiting the line she feels his breath sweep over her shoulder, "Hello."

Sansa stops, looks over her shoulder at the dashing man. Tall, lean muscled, with golden blond hair that falls around his jawline. Green eyes that sparkle like emeralds. In short, he's gorgeous. She clears her throat daintily, "Hello," she says, giving him a tentative smile.

The man lights up, beaming at her, "Hi, I'm Jaime. Jaime Lannister, do you... have anyone to sit with?"

Sansa can't help but return his wide smile, "I'm Sansa Stark, it's nice to meet you, and I actually don't. Are you offering?"

"It just so happens that I am," he starts, holding his arm out to her. He smiles wide and bright again when Sansa's fingers nestle into the crook of his elbow. "So, what brings you to the Free Cities?"

Sansa giggles, "Vacation. A gift to myself, really. I just graduated from White Harbor University a couple weeks ago and decided to celebrate," she says.

"For eight weeks on a boat filled with strangers," Jaime says around a chuckle, "Why didn't you ask a freind to come along?"

Sansa shrugs, "Travelling alone can be very enriching, you can meet new people you never would have met otherwise and really find yourself, you know? I'm Eat Pray Loving it. But what about you?"

Jaime sighs, "Same, I guess. Not the just graduating thing, but the other part. Meeting new people, finding myself. My mother passed a few months ago and I haven't felt like myself without her, decided I could use a change of scenery."

"Oh, Jaime, that's awful. I'm so sorry," Sansa breathes, unconciously stroking her thumb over the inside of his bicep in a comforting gesture.

Jaime gives her a sort of sad smile, "Thank you, Sansa." That's the first time he's said her name aloud. It feels good on his lips. "It would be easier, I think, if I had any siblings to talk to about it. My father refuses to talk about Mother and I don't have anyone else. At home I'm constantly reminded of my mum but not allowed to talk about her, I figured I could get away and work it out on my own."

Sansa looks up at him with her pretty blue eyes, wide and sympathetic, "I can't imagine what that would be like, my mum died when I was a baby but my dad always talks about her, she was the love of his life. I'm an only child, too, by the way."

Jaime chuckles despite himself, "No wonder you decided to go on vacation by yourself, we're a weird bunch. Shall we find a table now that we've gotten all the heavy awkward stuff out of the way?"

Sansa giggles, "Please, lead the way."

Jaime finds an open two top and puts his plate down before taking Sansa's and setting it across the table. Sansa releases his elbow and Jaime pulls out her chair for her. Sansa smooths down her skirt before she sits, "Thank you, Jaime."

"You're very welcome," Jaime says, seating himself across from her with a smile. Jaime and Sansa eat and drink, chatting the night away. Once the dining room is closed after the dinner hour they get more drinks from the bar and make laps around the deck of the _Queen Alysanne_ cruise ship.

It's nearly the hour of the wolf when Jaime finally walks Sansa back to her stateroom, lingering in the doorway. "Goodnight, Sansa. I look forward to spending the next eight weeks with you," he says softly, resisting the urge to tuck her long auburn locks behind her ear.

Sansa blushes prettily, dipping her chin towards her chest before looking up at him from under her lashes, smiling softly. "Goodnight, Jaime. I look forward to it as well," she says, punctuating her statement with a coy bite of her lip.

Jaime is just about to say 'Goodnight' again before taking his leave, but Sansa surprises him, pressing up on her tip-toes to lay a kiss against the corner of his lips. He doesn't have time to respond before Sansa unlocks her door and ducks into her room, closing the door behind her.

Jaime stands glued to the spot, huffing a surprised laugh before finding his bearings and walking back to his own stateroom. Jaime finds Sansa at breakfast the next day, and the next. After the first night Jaime and Sansa spend every day together. They talk about everything, most things perfect strangers wouldn't dream of bringing up in light conversation.

"Doesn't it seem a bit odd that we talk to each other the way we do after only knowing one another for a couple days?" Jaime asks, unable to help himself. They met less than a week ago and Jaime has told her things his own father doesn't know.

She hums and scrunches her face up, "How can I put this?" Sansa asks herself out loud before taking a deep breath and turning to Jaime, "I suppose I do think it's weird, but only because I feel like I already know you? Like, we're kindred spirits, or something. I normally wouldn't talk about the stuff we've talked about with someone I just met, but when I met you..." Sansa trails off.

"When you met me...?"

Sansa huffs, internally rolling her eyes at herself, "You're going to think I'm crazy, but when I met you, it didn't feel like we were meeting for the first time. It felt like... we were being reuinted."

Jaime feels his jaw go slack. That's how he felt, too. As soon as he noticed her joining the line for the buffet his heart started thumping out of his chest. Something deep down inside him screamed, _Her! It's her. Gods, finally! You have to talk to her. Go, go, go!_

Jaime closes his mouth and tries to swallow but his throat is impossibly dry. "I don't think you're crazy," he breathes. "Truthfully, I felt the same way. For whatever reason, be it a higher power, or the universe, or fate, I had to talk to you."

"Oh, Jaime," Sansa coos, "I can't tell you how glad I am that you did. At the moment I can't think of anyone else I would rather spend the next seven and a half weeks with."

Jaime can't help but smile widely down at her, "Neither can I. Sansa, would it be okay if I kissed you?" Jaime hasn't initiated any physical contact between them besides offering her his arm as they walk together, even after Sansa kissed him. It was barely a kiss, but too much on the lips to be a miss if she was aiming for his cheek. She wanted to kiss him, she just wasn't ready.

"Yes," Sansa breathes, with a little nod of her head, never breaking eye contact with Jaime. Rather than leaning in towards Sansa he pulls her into his arms, nuzzling his nose along hers before their lips finally meet.

Sansa gives a soft whimper through her nose, wrapping her arms around Jaime's neck and pressing herself against him. "Gods, Jaime," she mewls, parting her lips for Jaime to massage her tongue with his own as she cards her fingers through his hair. "Jaime," she whimpers, tugging at his hair to break their kiss.

"What's wrong?" Jaime asks, wide eyed. He still holds Sansa close but doesn't deign to look anywhere but her eyes.

Sansa's chest is rising and falling in time with her rapid breathing, and it's hard to ignore her bussom pressing against his chest in such a way, but he listens to her speak, "I like what we're doing and I don't want to stop, but it's just, so many people can see. Perhaps we can take this somewhere more private?"

"Of course," Jaime breathes, releasing his hold on Sansa to take just her hand, leading them to his stateroom, so they can "talk" in private. Both Jaime and Sansa forgetting they had intended to get lunch in the first place. Whatever, they can eat at dinner.

Jaime and Sansa spend every waking moment together, from Braavos, to Pentos, to Volantis they fall in love. Theirs is a whirlwind romance, by the time they're in Lys they decide to get married. Luckily the captain of the _Queen Alysanne_ is also an ordained minister, with marriage licenses on hand.

Sansa wears the nicest dress she brought with her, a floor length sundress, it's white with blue flowers all over it. Jaime wears a white button down, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and khakis with a pair of loafers. They marry on deck at sunset, standing before the captain hand in hand as passengers watch the ceremony.

"With this kiss, I pledge my love," Jaime says before taking Sansa's lips in a soft kiss, sealing their union.

They have dinner and champagne and dance the night away before celebrating the way newlyweds do, spending the night together in Jaime's suite. When they dock back in Westeros Sansa flies back to Lannisport with Jaime, and sends for her things in White Harbor. Sansa's father is surprised when she tells him she got married, but Ned agrees to come visit to meet Jaime.

Sansa settles into Jaime's family home and married life surprisingly easy, despite being only twenty-one when Jaime is almost thirty. Only a few weeks after arriving in Lannisport, Sansa discovers she is pregnant. Shortly after that, at her first ultrasound, they find out Sansa carries twins. Jaime and Sansa are ecstatic, her pregnancy is remarkably easy and the nine months fly by. Jaime is with Sansa as she gives birth, the first born girl they name Joanna for Jaime's late mother, and the second Catelyn for Sansa's.

Unfortunately, the first month after the girls are born takes a turn for the worse. Between the post-partum hormones and Jaime going back to work for his father, leaving Sansa to care for the two newborns without any help, she decides she can't do this. Marrying Jaime was a mistake. All they do lately is fight, and Sansa misses her father back in White Harbor.

When Jaime gets home that evening Sansa confronts him, telling him she wants to go back to White Harbor to be with her father. She wants to follow her dreams of being a designer, instead of letting them wither away while Jaime follows his, and she's left to care for two babies all on her own. Jaime stands there shocked, not saying anything.

The less Jaime reacts the more angry Sansa becomes, screaming and throwing things, she doesn't know how she didn't wake the girls. _He never cared about me in the first place,_ Sansa thinks, _a year of my life and two baby girls with a man who couldn't care less if I stayed or left._

Sansa storms off to the nursery, starts packing the girls' things as they sleep side by side in their crib.

"You can't take the girls, Sansa, please don't do that to me," Jaime says quietly, earnestly.

Sansa stops piling onesies and diapers into the bag to gaze down at her sleeping girls, reaching in to gently stroke her knuckles over the soft down of Catelyn's reddish gold hair. She can't leave both girls behind. "I'll take Joanna, and you can keep Catelyn, so we'll always have a piece of each other. But this means you'll actually have to be a father, Jaime," she says, not looking up, missing the anguish painted across his face.

"I'll do better if you just stay. Please, Sansa."

"I can't," Sansa says softly, finally looking at Jaime to see his tear stained cheeks. Sansa looks away, "I had my father book a flight for me back to White Harbor, I'm going to sleep in here with the girls tonight and tomorrow morning Joanna and I will be gone."

"You hate to fly," Jaime mutters without thinking about it.

Sansa ignores the comment, brushing passed him, out of the nursery to pluck their framed wedding photo from the living room mantle. She gingerly removes the picture from it's frame before tearing it down the middle. The sound makes Jaime flinch. Sansa goes back to the nursery, holding half of the photo to her chest, before she closes the door between them forever she presses the other half of the photo into his hands with her wedding band.

Jaime takes it reluctantly, feeling the weight of the solid gold ring in his palm, "Sansa," he breathes, "please don't."

"I'm sorry, but I have to. Goodbye, Jaime," Sansa says, closing the door between them, literally and figuratively, forever.

Jaime feels nailed to the floor, listening to Sansa's muffled sobs through the door as silent tears stream down his own cheeks. It could have been hours or minutes later when Sansa's cries recede, and he's able to scrub a hand over his cheeks and walk away. He plucks a decanter of scotch from the drybar and takes it to his bedroom to drown himself. Sansa's packed bags sit outside the door. He feels his heart break all over again as he brushes passed her luggage, he closes the door behind him with a resolute click, and drinks himself to sleep.

He wakes at dawn to the sound of the front door slamming, followed by Catelyn's cries. Whether Catelyn woke from the loud noise or the sudden absence of her twin is anyone's guess. Jaime scoops his, now only, daughter from her crib and cradles her to his chest.

"It's all right, Cat. Just you and me now, you're my number one girl," he coos until Cat settles in his arms, gumming at her fist.

After fixing Cat a bottle and changing her, Jaime makes two phone calls. The first is to his father, telling him why he won't be coming to work for awhile, Jaime hangs up to end his father's berating and ranting about 'How could you let her leave?!' Jaime didn't _let_ Sansa leave, she wanted to, so she did. He just didn't know how to make her want to stay.

The second call was to Cersei Marbrand, one of his best friends and Addam Marbrand's twin sister. She was practically his own sister. "Cers," he chokes out when she picks up on the second ring.

_"Jaime? What's wrong?" Cersei asks groggily._

"Sansa's gone. She left to go back to White Harbor, wants a divorce. She took Joannna," Jaime croaks.

_"Oh, Jaime. Where's Catelyn?"_

"She's here with me. Sansa was going to take both girls but I begged her not to. Sansa agreed and only took Jo, 'so we'll always have a piece of each other,' she said," Jaime says, looking down at Cat in her crib, she sleeps fitfully, missing the presence of her twin.

_"I'll be right over and we'll figure this out, all right?"_

"Thanks, Cers. I think I'm going to need all the help I can get," Jaime says, hanging up before she has a chance to respond. He strokes Cat's cheek softly.

_We'll figure it out,_ Jaime thinks, _just you and me._


	2. In the End it’s Better for Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa arrives in White Harbor with a brand new set of regrets, wondering if she's done the right thing by leaving Jaime and Cat behind.

The night Sansa decides to leave Jaime and Cat is miserable, but pales in comparisson to her journey to White Harbor with poor little Jo. The infant girl is inconsolable as soon as they board their first flight to Seagard, and Sansa can admit she doesn't fair much better. The only silver lining is a kind old woman taking pity on her and Jo, moving to the empty seat on the other side of Joanna's carrier and trying to calm her down. It helps a little, the woman has a soothing presence. Sansa has no memory of her own mother but from what her father has told her this lady reminds Sansa of the late Catelyn Stark, which only proves to further break her heart.

"What pains you so, dear child?" The old woman asks as Sansa bursts into tears.

Sansa sobs, "Gods, I'm sorry, I just left my husband and," she trails off, as the words caught in her throat bring on a fresh wave of tears, _and my second daughter,_ Sansa finishes internally. "I don't know if I made the right choice," she says wetly.

The woman pats Sansa's arm sympathetically, "There, there. You'll be all right, my dear. He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Gods, no. Nothing like that," Sansa sniffles, "it all just, happened so fast. In the blink of an eye I was married and pregnant right after graduating university. I got... scared," Sansa confesses tearfully to this strange woman, and to herself, really.

"There's nothing wrong with that, my dear. If it's meant to be it will be, he'll make it so and come after you. Don't you worry about that," the elder woman says sagely.

Sansa feels her brows furrow, is that what she wants? Does she want Jaime to come for her and prove he loves her? Needs her? That he'll support her dreams? Sansa doesn't know, really, but the thought makes her stomach flutter a little bit. Sansa glances down at Joanna when she coos softly, drifting off to sleep as she gums at her fist.

"Get a little rest if you can, dearie. It's a long flight, I'll wake you if the baby stirs," the old woman assures.

"Thank you," Sansa says earnestly, "Her name is Joanna, and I'm Sansa."

The old woman gives her a soft smile, "A pleasure to meet you both, I'm Dayna. Now, get some rest, things will feel better when you wake up."

Sansa sniffles and nods, "Thank you," she mumbles again as she lets her eyes slip closed, leaning her head against the window.

Sansa doesn't remember falling asleep but her eyes drift open as Dayna lightly jostles her shoulder. "Time to wake up, dear. We're about to land in Seagard."

"Oh," Sansa mumbles groggily, "Thank you. Was Joanna all right?"

Dayna huffs a laugh, "Didn't stir a bit, but she probably will as we make our descent."

Sansa rubs the sleep from her eyes, "Are you going to White Harbor as well?"

Dayna smiles softly and pats Sansa's shoulder, "I'm afraid not, dearie. This is my last stop, but I wish you two the best on your journey."

Sansa smiles back, "Thank you, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I appreciate what you said. Gave me a lot to think about."

"Not to worry, my dear, us old girls have to look out for the younger ones," Dayna says.

Sansa feels another lump swell in her throat, wishing so very much in that moment she had a mother to lean on, "Thank you, I can't tell you what your kindness means to me."

Dayna smiles and pinches her cheek, "Don't you fret over it, dearie. You girls will be all right, with or without your husband. You're a strong one, I can tell. With you around this little one will be, too." Sansa nods, looking at Joanna as a tear slips down her cheek. Dayna sweeps it away with a thumb, "No more of that, now. Be strong, you can do this."

Sansa sniffles and nods again, resolutely this time, "I'll try," she mutters, looking up into Dayna's older, wiser eyes.

"That's all any of us can do," Dayna says sympathetically.

Sansa nods again, sniffling and sweeping away any stray tears that fall as she watches Seagard come into view through the window. Sansa absentmindedly lays her hand over Joanna's belly, stroking her thumb across the soft material of her onesie. Joanna stirs and grasps Sansa's thumb, cooing as she brings it to her mouth to suck on.

Sansa smiles despite herself, stroking her fingers over Jo's cheek. _We'll be all right,_ she thinks, _just the two of us._

Once the plane lands Sansa collects her carry-on from the overhead compartment, wheeling it behind her as she deboards with Joanna in her carseat. Dayna gives Sansa a hug and a dry kiss on her cheek, wishing her luck as they part ways. Sansa feels her smile fall as she watches the elder woman walk away.

 _Dayna wouldn't have been so nice to me if I told her the whole truth, how I seperated my girls and left Cat behind just so I'll never have to face Jaime again after the way I left,_ Sansa thinks, feeling herself deflate as she walks to her next gate. Joanna starts to fuss and Sansa looks for a secluded place to feed her.

Sansa settles into a secluded corner of her gate and drapes Joanna's blanket over her shoulder before pulling her shirt up. She nestles Jo against her breast under the blanket and she latches on, immediately searching out her twins' hand. Sansa's heart breaks yet again, at home she would nurse Jo and Cat at the same time, one girl under each arm.

Sansa misses Cat so much in that moment, she has to bite her tongue to keep from crying, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth around the lump in her throat. Sansa lets Joanna wrap her finger in her little fist as she rocks her gently. Joanna detaches when she's had her fill and Sansa situates herself back in her nursing bra before pulling her shirt back down and laying Joanna against her shoulder to be burped.

Once Jo burps Sansa puts her back in her carrier before going to the bathroom to change her diaper. Sansa gets Joanna changed and puts her back in her carseat, taking her into the stall so Sansa can relieve herself as well before their next three hour flight. Sansa makes it back to the gate just as they make the announcement to start boarding. Sansa gathers her and Joanna's belongings and finds her boarding pass before getting in line to board.

_I haven't been this close to home in a year and it doesn't feel as good as I had hoped,_ Sansa thinks to herself as she hands the flight attendant her boarding pass. Having just been fed Joanna snoozes away in her carseat, Sansa hopes she stays asleep until they land so she can get another nap herself. Dayna said everything would feel better after she had a nap but Sansa just feels worse. Mayhaps another nap will change that, but most likely not.

Sansa feels wrung out as she deboards in White Harbor, she didn't sleep a wink, instead spent the entirety of their second flight crying softly as Joanna slept. Sansa approaches baggage claim with Joanna and her carry-on in tow, finding her father waiting for her with his most recent steward, Stannis Baratheon. Sansa hustles over, leaving her bag behind to wrap her father in a hug, "Daddy," she sobs into his shoulder.

"It's all right, now, sweetling. I'm here," Ned soothes, rubbing her back.

"I know, but I don't know if this is where I should be," Sansa whimpers sadly, sniffling as she pulls away to wipe her eyes. Stannis dutifully takes Joanna's carrier and Sansa's carry-on from her. "Thank you, Stannis," she mutters, giving him a little smile.

Stannis nods, "Of course, my lady. You and your father go get your luggage while I take the little one and bring the car around."

Ned smiles and claps Stannis on the shoulder, "Thank you, Stannis."

"A pleasure, sir," Stannis says with a nod, turning on his heel with Joanna's carseat on his arm and Sansa's carry-on in tow.

Ned puts his arm around Sansa's shoulders and steers her towards baggage claim, "Why don't you tell me what happened now, hmm?"

Sansa sighs, "I hardly know myself, I was spiralling and felt trapped. I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life that way, being a stay at home mother while Jaime got to follow his own dreams. By the time he came home I was determined, I told him I wanted to leave and he... didn't do anything. Didn't say anything. So I just got more upset and angry, I screamed about how he didn't love me, threw things, broke things. I don't know how I didn't wake the girls.

"He finally reacted when I started packing for the girls, begged me not to take them and he just seemed so sad, but I had made such a big scene I felt like I had to leave at that point. I couldn't bear to leave both girls behind so I told him I'd just take Joanna, said some back-handed comment about how he'll have to actually be a father now, went and ripped our wedding photo in half, then gave him the half with me in it and my wedding band. I closed the door and that was it. I spent the night in the nursery crying, I don't know what Jaime did but he was asleep when I left. Which brings us here."

Ned hums, "That's certainly quite the story. Do you regret it?"

"I don't know, I regret seperating the girls. I miss Cat, I can tell Joanna does too. Do you think I made the right choice?" Sansa asks.

"I can't tell you that, sweetling. However, it does seem like a hasty decision. When I met Jaime he seemed like a respectable man that loved you very much, but you had to do what felt right for you at the time, and there's nothing wrong with that. If he wants to be with you and have a family he'll prove that to you," Ned says.

Sansa huffs, "An old woman on my plane from Lannisport to Seagard said the same thing, she kind of reminded me of Mother. I didn't tell her I seperated my twins, just that I left my husband and wasn't sure if I made the right choice. She said if he wanted me he'd make it so and come for me. That only made me ask myself if I really want him to."

"And do you?" Ned asks.

Sansa sighs again, "I don't know," she lies. She knows she does, she's realized now that's why she left in the first place, but there's no going back at this point. If he doesn't come for her, there's no way she could go back to him, not after the way she broke his heart.

"Either way my dear, you have Joanna, and you know Stannis and I are here for you. We'll make it through. Now, let's get your bags, Stannis should be pulling up with the car any minute," Ned says.

Sansa nods sadly, "Thank you, Daddy, I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ned gives her a small smile, "You'd be just fine, you've got a good head on your shoulders."

Sansa huffs a laugh, "I suppose, but you put it there," she says, nudging her shoulder against his. It's weird to be as tall as her father, when she was little he seemed so big he towered over her. In a way he still does, just not physically. Sansa collects her bags with the help of her father, it's a meager portion of her belongings, but she can send for the rest when the time comes. If.

Stannis is pulling up the town car with Joanna's carseat secured in the back when Sansa and her father exit the airport, he throws the car into park and pops the trunk, getting out to help Ned with Sansa's bags. He closes the trunk and opens the back door for Sansa to sit next to Joanna before opening the front passenger door for Mr. Stark. Once everyone is settled Stannis slides in behind the wheel, leaving the airport and heading for the ancestral Stark home.

Sansa breathes a sigh of relief when she steps foot through the gate of her childhood home. _This is the feeling I've been waiting for_ , she thinks to herself. Sansa secretly hopes Jaime will come for her and Joanna, but in the meantime this will be a nice get away.

*********

Days bleed into weeks which bleed into months of Sansa half hoping she would find a letter in the mail, answer a phone call, or plain open the front door to Jaime's painfully handsome face, and; nothing.

Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Not a peep from the man. And so, Sansa's sadness bleeds into frustration, bleeds into anger, bleeds into full-blown _well FUCK him, then!_

_If he's so Gods damned pleased his family is split in half, never to see each other again, well, that's just fucking fine by me!_ Sansa seethes internally, driving to the Stark family lawyer's office nearly four months after she left Lannisport.

Davos Seaworth has seen this specific kind of rage for many a year, it's a shame nobody can stay together anymore, these days. He and his wife have been happily married for over thirty years, but his job is not to judge people. His job is draw up papers for divorce and custody agreements for people who got married too soon, or for the wrong reasons, or to the wrong person.

Sansa Stark was no different, except that she seemed especially remorseful, for whatever reason. Again, it's not his job to know the specifics. He drafts affadavits for custody and divorce. Sansa makes it rather easy. She doesn't ask for alimony or child support, though she's entitled to both. She only asks for soul custody of Joanna and both their names to be changed back to Stark with her soon to be ex-husband's consent. In return Sansa offers the same. Soul custody of Catelyn going to Jaime and consent of Sansa for Catelyn to keep the name Lannister. Davos also files the revision of Joanna's birth certificate, keeping Jaime's name as the father of Joanna but changing her surname to Stark.

After everything is drawn up and filed to send out the next morning Sansa leaves the office visibly distraught, eyes and nose red from shed and unshed tears, but Davos isn't a therapist. The young Stark woman's feelings are her own, but he does hope she will feel better once everything is said and done, otherwise what's the point?

Sansa is partially relieved but also, more than anything, perfectly obliterated when the divorce and custody papers Davos had sent off come back perfectly signed and initialed in all the correct spots. Less than two weeks after they had been sent. Not a single contention made.

_After everything he really couldn't give a fuck less, could he? WHAT. AN. ASSHOLE! Fine! I'm fucking glad I left!_ Sansa rages internally, after ripping the manilla envelope open and reading the entirety of the contents. Externally, Sansa screams at the top of her lungs; howling at the sky like the wolf she is, before crumpling the papers in her fists and releasing another animalistic cry as she drops to her knees at the end of the Stark driveway. 

Stannis rushes out of the house and down the driveway to her, "My lady, what is it?"

"I got the divorce papers back," Sansa sobs, whipping them to the ground in front of Stannis, covering her face with her hands.

Stannis picks up the papers, doing what he can about the mud before reading them over, "He agreed to everything you wanted, shouldn't that be a good thing?"

She tosses her head back with another sob, "It was supposed to be! But for some reason it just kills me that he doesn't care enough to fight for me! For us! For the Gods' sake, what did he even fucking want to marry me for?!" Sansa cries, crumpling in on herself.

Stannis wraps a gentle arm around her shoulders, helping her up, "I wish I could tell you my lady, but let's get you back inside, aye?"

"All right, thank you, Stannis," Sansa mumbles wetly, letting him help her back up the driveway. They find Ned on the front porch with a fussy Joanna in his arms. Sansa takes her daughter as she reaches the top of the stairs, shushing her softly and rocking her as she goes back inside.

All of Sansa's anger and sadness bleeds into raw determination as she walks through her childhood home. _He's more than willing to pretend I never existed? Fine. I'll make it impossible to forget me. I'm going to be the most prolific designer in all of Westeros, he won't be able to turn a single corner without seeing my name. I think I'll call my first line_ Wolf's Blood _,_ Sansa thinks to herself, feeling deliciously vengeful. It will be a quiet sort of vengance, and slow coming, but sweet all the same.

With the help of her father and Stannis providing care for Joanna, Sansa does just that. Fashion design is what Sansa went to school for, it's always been her passion, and she has a natural talent for it. Or so she's always been told. After getting permission from her maternal grandfather to access the trust her mother left behind, Sansa hits the ground running. She acquries a business license, a space for production, a little store-front, and hires a handful of Northron designers to work with who's visions allign with her own. Within two years Sansa is attending Fashion Weeks all over Westeros and Essos with her brand, _S. Stark_ , and her team learns early on not to question her avoidance of the largest city on the west coast of Westeros.

Nevertheless, her line _Wolf's Blood_ is a hit from coast to coast and across the Narrow Sea. Sansa's small production space, her first boutique, and her staff expand by scores. They move into a small warehouse for production and her boutique expands into the old production space, before Sansa knows it she's opening stores in Cerwyn, Winterfell, and Barrowtown.

Sansa is well on her way to being a household name, like _Versace_ , _Louis Vuiton_ , or _Chanel_. Sansa's line is unique in that it carries several traditional Northron elements, like leather, wool, fur, and steel, yet makes them wearable and fashionable for the current time. _S. Stark_ is mainly a clothing brand but Sansa loves accessories and found she has a love for leather tooling. She's made chokers, bracelets, cuffs, arm bands, watch bands, and various other things for the _Wolf's Blood_ line that she's quite proud of.

Her favorite part however has to be the shows. As hectic and maddening as shows can be that's when she gets to go really over the top; fluffy floor length faux-fur cloaks with big leather straps that go across the chest and secure the cloak around the shoulders, floor length gowns of crushed velvet with direwolf sigils hand embroidered in silver thread, knee high leather riding boots with ornate straps and steel buckles. Sansa revels in it.

Joanna seems to love it too, toddling through all the racks of clothes, screaming with laughter until Sansa scoops her up again and settles her on her hip. Through everything Sansa has accomplished Joanna has been with her every step of the way, unable to spend more than a few hours away from her. Now that Jo is in her 'terrible twos' Sansa is usally a few steps behind Jo, and if not Sansa it's Stannis chasing her about. He adores his little lady, and Jo has him wrapped around her finger.

Sansa can admit how happy she is, but she would never admit to the way she still thinks about her husband. _Ex-husband_ , she reminds herself, _it's been over two years for the Gods' sake._ But she does think about Jaime.

During the day if he crosses her mind it's usually with spite. At night is a different story. At night she misses Jaime and his stupidly handsome face, his strong arms, and _Gods,_ that smile _._ She wonders what he's been doing for the two and half years they've been apart, longer than they were ever married; then seethes as she thinks he probably shacked up with another woman as soon as he signed the divorce papers, before she quickly puts those thoughts back in the box clearly labeled _DO NOT TOUCH_ in her brain.

As happy as her work makes her it's a means to an end; stay busy so you don't have to think about the man whose heart you broke or the daughter you abdandoned over a tantrum. In the end Sansa thinks it's an effective coping mechanism, and bonus, it prevents her from getting in too deep with someone else. Gods forbid she go through that again.

Sansa gets better and better at telling herself she's fine until Joanna starts school, and she has a whole seven hours of free time a day, five days a week. Of course to combat this newfound time to be alone with her thoughts, she works.

From there the years blow away in the wind, until her baby girl is standing in front of her at twelve years old and offically a middle schooler. Joanna turned out to be Sansa's miniature, except her father's green eyes and the golden highlights in her hair that really come out during the summer, she has her mother's bone structure and fair skin. She's a spindly thing, too, she'll be just as tall as Sansa if not taller. Sansa breifly wonders if Cat looks like Joanna, or if she favored Jaime in any way, before she puts that thought away with the rest.

Sansa doesn't think too much about Jaime these days, and thankfully Joanna hasn't had too many questions since she was a little girl and asked who her daddy was. Sansa showed Joanna the picture of Jaime, her half of their wedding photo, and told Joanna that's who her daddy is. Jaime Lannister.

Joanna asked what happened to him, and Sansa didn't have the heart to tell her the truth, so instead she said, 'I'll tell you when you're a little older, sweetling.' Joanna shrugged and said, 'He's pretty, Mama. Can I keep Daddy?' Sansa swallowed around he lump in her throat and nodded, 'Of course, baby.'

Why Sansa is thinking about that when she's about to put her daughter on a plane to the Reach for summer camp, she has no idea. She shakes the thought, putting it back in the _'do not touch'_ box, and says goodbye to Joanna and Stannis, waving as they board and staying to watch the plane take off.

_Gods, I'm going to miss her so much. Eight weeks is such a long time, she could be a whole different girl by the time I see her again,_ Sansa thinks sadly as she leaves the airport.

Oh, if only she knew...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally don’t do song recs, but for this chapter and the next I will because I want to convey the way Sansa and Jaime felt about the end of their marriage individually because it obviously wasn’t a mutual decision, and that’s where I’m trying to stay true to the concept of The Parent Trap (1998)
> 
> Anyway the song I recommend for Sansa’s POV is Moral of the Story - Ashe


	3. When a Heart Breaks...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime tries to pick up the pieces after Sansa leaves him and takes Joanna. Sansa leaving seems to have a snowball effect on his life, everything getting worse and worse until, finally, it gets better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song recs for Jaime's POV
> 
> Breakeven - The Script  
> Slow Dancing in a Burning Room - John Mayer

Cersei arrives to Jaime's in, no less than, an absolute fit. She lets herself in with her emergency key, calling for Jaime, "Jaime? I'm here!"

Jaime materializes from the corridor leading into the main rooms, shushing her, "I'm here, keep your voice down, I just got Cat down for a nap," Jaime says in a stage-whisper.

Cersei winces, "Sorry, Jai. Do you have coffee made?"

Jaime shakes his head no, "I haven't gotten there quite yet," he says.

Cersei feels her brows draw together, really looking at Jaime for the first time since she got here. His clothes are askew and rumpled like he slept in them, he's pale with dark bags under his eyes, hair a mess. To be frank, he looks like death warmed over. "Come on, I'll get it going while we have a chat," Cersei says, pressing her lips together in a sympathetic smile.

Jaime nods, turning towards the kitchen while Cers trails after him. He seats himself at the breakfast bar while Cersei starts the coffee, filling the machine with water and ground coffee beans before turning it on. She leans her elbows on the counter across from him to look him in the eye. "Tell me what happened, Jai, from start to finish."

Jaime sighs, "I came home from work late, Sansa had already put the girls down for the night, and she said she wanted to talk. I asked what she wanted to talk about, and she told me she was unhappy here and that she wanted to go back to White Harbor, for good."

"And what did you say?" Cersei asks, cocking an eyebrow.

Jaime shakes his head, "I don't remember, I might not have said anything. I was shocked, I didn't know what to say."

Cersei groans internally, eyes closing as she takes a breath, she loves Jaime like a brother but _Gods_ is he daft sometimes. "What happened after that?"

Jaime grimaces, "It all went downhill pretty quickly after that. Sansa and I had been fighting over almost everything for awhile, stupid things, but I've never seen her like she was. Honestly? She completely freaked out. She was pacing around and screaming about what a mistake it was to get married, how I really must not give a shit about her if I had nothing to say about her wanting to leave. She threw the old cordless phone at my head, for the Gods' sake, I ducked and it shattered against that support beam," he says, pointing to the vertical beam that separates the breakfast nook from the living room.

Cersei blows a breath through her lips, feeling her eyebrows raise, she didn't think Sansa had it in her. She shakes her head and refocuses on Jaime, "What happened next?"

Jaime sighs again, "When she ran out of steam she went to the nursery, started packing for the girls, and I finally found some words. I asked her not to take both girls from me, she said she'd only take Jo, and said it means I'll have to actually be a father now. That was one of the main things we fought about, how Sansa felt like I didn't help with anything, how I work too much. Anyway, I said I'd try harder, be better, if she just stayed. She said she couldn't. She went and got our wedding picture off the mantle before she took it out of the frame and ripped it in half. She pushed the half with her in it and her wedding band into my hands, I asked her not to go. 'Please don't do this,' I said," he has to pause to draw a shuddering breath.

"She said she had to, that she was sorry, and told me goodbye, then she closed the door to the nursery. After that I stood outside the door for Gods know how long. I could hear her crying, I cried too. When it sounded like she had fallen asleep I grabbed a bottle of scotch from the bar and took it to bed. Her bags were sitting outside our bedroom door, already packed. She never said she had already packed. She was leaving, one way or the other," Jaime finishes, voice cracking on the last few words.

"Gods, Jaime," Cersei groans pitifully, "Did you, at any point, say that you wanted Sansa to stay because you love her? Or because you love the girls and the family you've made together?"

"I..." Jaime starts before trailing off, feeling his brows furrow, did he? "I must have," he says. It rings false in his own ears.

Cersei cocks her eybrow again, incredulous, "Did you?"

Jaime shrinks in on himself, _I didn't,_ he thinks. "Now that you mention it, I don't think I did. At all," he grumbles with shame. 

Cersei groans in earnest, "Fucking men," she mutters under her breath, pulling the carafe of coffee from its cradle and pouring herself a mug before poring one for Jaime. She spoons sugar into her mug, stirring it before tapping her spoon on the rim of her cup with a _clink-clink-clink._ She blows on it before taking a sip, swallowing with a sigh. "You fucked up, my friend," she says bluntly.

Jaime groans, "Cers, I don't need that from you, I heard enough from my father. Besides, like I said, her bags were packed before I even got home. She was leaving no matter what I did or didn't do, said or didn't say."

"Tell me honestly, Jai, do you think Sansa still would have left if you made it clear how much you love her and want to be with her?" Cersei asks.

Jaime can't bring himself to look into Cersei's eyes when he answers weakly, "Yes, I do."

Cersei scoffs indignantly, "You're fucking thick in the head, but whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Do you mind?! My wife just left me and took one of my girls with her, I don't need you to insult my inteligence as well," Jaime snaps.

"Well, I'm sorry but I'm not going to stroke your fucking ego and be all sympathetic when you could have prevented this! And if you don't acknowledge that, I can't help you," Cersei says, standing her ground with her hands on her hips.

"What do you want me to fucking do?!" Jaime bellows, slamming his fist on the counter. Cersei jumps back slightly, before Cat's cries echo down the hallway and through the tinny speaker of the baby monitor. "Fuck," Jaime mutters, leaning his elbows on the breakfast bar and smothering his face in his hands. He scrubs a hand over his cheeks before pushing away from the counter to go check on Cat.

"No, let me. You need to calm down, I'm sorry for being harsh but I'm not sorry that it's still true. And to answer your question, I want you to figure out what you want and what's important," Cersei says before sweeping from the kitchen.

Jaime crumbles, burying his head in his arms on the countertop and choking down a sob. How he still has tears left he doesn't know. What does he want? Really, truly, _want_. He wants Sansa to be happy, no matter what that means.

 _What's that saying about if you love something let it go? If it comes back it's yours and if it doesn't it was never meant to be,_ Jaime thinks. That's what he's doing. He loves Sansa so he's letting her go, because he wants her to be happy. He didn't make her happy enough, he guesses. If she comes back it was meant to be, if not, at least he'll always have Cat.

Cersei comes back out to the kitchen with Cat cradled in her arms, eyeing Jaime cautiously.

Jaime lifts his head with a sigh, feeling Cersei's eyes on him, "I want Sansa to be happy, that's important to me. Cat is important to me, I'll put her before everything. Like I should have in the first place. If Sansa decides to come back she can, nothing would make me happier, but that has to be her decision. I don't know what else I could do. Her bags were packed, she was leaving me regardless, Cers."

Cersei nods, "I can accept that, but don't you think you should make some kind of gesture?"

Jaime shakes his head, "You weren't there, she looked like she hated me, until the very end, then she just looked disappointed."

Cersei internally rolls her eyes as she rocks Cat back and forth, "After what we've talked about don't you think there was a reason she looked disappointed?"

Jaime groans and puts his head back in his arms, "We've established that I fucked up, Cersei. What's done is done. I'm not going to put my neck on the line just to get rejected again. If she wants to come back, she can. Everything else I'll take one day at a time," he says to the countertop.

Cersei sighs, there's no getting through to him like this, "Fine. Do it your way. I just think it would do you well to at least try."

Jaime nods into the crook of his elbow. He understands where Cersei is coming from but he really can't bring himself to take that first step. She walked out on him and Cat like they meant nothing. Jaime acknowledges that he could have done more to try and get her to stay, but her mind seemed made up. What's worse is that she was ready to take both girls and abandon him completely. _I guess that's how she must have felt when I went back to work, leaving her and the girls alone all day everyday,_ he thinks.

Jaime is ashamed of his actions, or lack thereof. He swore to himself when he was young that if he got married he would be better than his father. He would be an attentive husband and dutiful father. Both of those went to the wayside in the first month of the girls' lives. He was so worried about supporting his wife and new baby girls he forgot why he wanted to marry Sansa in the first place. Those first eight weeks she was the center of his universe, but then again, they were also strangers that met on a cruise ship full of other strangers.

He was so broken up over his mother passing when he met Sansa, is that why he got so attached so quickly? Was she just filling the whole left behind by the late Joanna Lannister? No, Jaime knows himself better than that. He fell in the love with Sansa so quickly and so deeply because she was special. Unique. She lit a fire in him he didn't know existed. So, what changed?

Almost a year into their marriage and a month after the girls were born Jaime started to take Sansa for granted. He didn't notice how unhappy she was. He would come home from work and she would say some passive aggressive remark about him being late. He would react defensively, saying how he works to provide for her and the girls, not realizing she only said certain things the way she did because she was hurting.

Sansa has her own dreams, Jaime knows that. Dreams other than being a wife and mother. She wants to make her own way in the world of fashion, just like Jaime wants to make his own name in architecture, rather than riding on his father's coattails in the Lannisport stock market like he has been. Before Jaime started working for his father and met Sansa he went to school for architecture, its his first passion. For as long as Jaime can remember he's wanted to build things.

Cersei's twin, Addam, has been working under Tywin since they graduated university, if anyone should inherit Tywin's legacy, it's Addam. Jaime has worked for Tywin just as long but he's never been good with stocks and bonds. Whereas Addam went to school for finance, it's what he always wanted to do. Jaime's only survived this long because he's Tywin's only child and it's expected of him to carry everything on when the time comes. Jaime cringes internally, Gods he hates that job. It makes him sick that he wasted time with his wife, his family, for something he hates so he can _possibly_ get where he wants to be one day.

What is Jaime supposed to do now? If he resigns he runs the risk of being disinherited completely, and then what happens if Sansa files for alimony and child support? Gods forbid it comes to that. She could still come back, she only just left. _Maybe I should call her_ , Jaime thinks, before dismissing the thought. Sansa left, she can call him.

Jaime groans out loud, resisting the urge to bash his head against the counter. Sansa leaving has opened a whole can of worms Jaime didn't expect, he was ready to put working for his father ahead of his wife and family to support them and where did that get him?

Exhausted and hungover at his breakfast bar after drinking himself to sleep because his wife left him and took their firstborn babygirl. Not ideal. Being complacent got him his family and wedding photo ripped in half. Not worth it.

Jaime decides he'll take the rest of the week off before going back to work, and the first thing he's going to do when he does is talk to his father about his place at _Lannister Financial_. Until then, and after that he supposes, he'll take one day at a time. Jaime lifts his head wish a sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. When his eyes refocus to the late morning light streaming in through the kitchen window he realizes Cersei isn't there anymore.

"Cers?" Jaime calls out.

"In here," she calls back from the living room.

Jaime follows the sound of Cersei's voice and finds her seated on the couch with Cat in her lap. Cersei is looking down at Cat and making different faces, making Cat smile or her eyebrows scrunch. It's cute, and it makes his heart ache. Sansa told him it was good for the girls' development when he saw her doing the same thing, they were laid on the floor while Sansa was changing them. He remembers making a noncommittal noise and going back to whatever he was doing at the time, never thinking about it again until this very moment.

Jaime clears his throat around the lump swelling up in it, "Thank you for coming, Cersei. I know we haven't been as close these last few years but it means a lot that you still have my back, and you're just as brutally honest as you've always been."

Cersei looks at him over her shoulder, "Awh, Jai," she coos. "Of course I've got your back, you're practically my other brother," she finishes around a lighthearted chuckle.

Jaime presses his lips together and nods, losing the battle against his tears he looks down at the floor, feeling his shoulders jerk with barely repressed sobs.

"Oh, Jaime," Cersei croons, lifting Cat to cradle against her chest so she can stand. She strides over to Jaime and throws her free arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a hug. Jaime releases a pained noise and wraps his arms around Cersei's back, burying his face into her hair as he lets himself cry.

"I fucked up, Cers. I don't know what I'm gonna do," he mutters through his tears.

Cersei pets his hair as she shushes him, "I know, Jai. Just take it one day at a time, like you said. Wherever and whenever you need me, I'm there, okay? We can do this, I swear. D'you believe me?"

Jaime nods his head against Cersei's shoulder, feeling very much like a little boy in the moment. He brings a hand from around Cersei's back to stroke Cat's head between them, reminding himself he's a man grown with a daughter to look after. He pulls away and wipes his cheeks, sniffling. Jaime can hardly stand to look up but he musters a small smile when he meets Cersei's eyes.

"If you're looking for a career change I'd hire you as a nanny. Full time," Jaime says, trying to lighten the mood.

Cersei chuckles, throwing him a bone, "Don't give me ideas, I hate my job, and my apartment," she says with a smirk.

"Wait, seriously? I'd do it, and you could move in, too. I'd pay you and we could work out a budget for groceries and everything, the whole nine, if you want," Jaime says.

Cersei chuckles, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, aye? Sansa could cool off and come back, this is only day one, and you could _call her_ and talk to her. Tell her how you feel. That might even work out better for both of us. If you're so intent to keep working Sansa could use a hand."

Jaime shrugs, "I'll think about it," he says, looking down again.

Cersei hums, annoyed again. He's stubborn to the point of self destruction more often than not, and Cersei knows it when she sees it. Saving another argument she asks, "Hungry?"

Jaime shrugs again, "I'm good with coffee," he grumbles.

"Hmph, well I'm starved. Let's see what you have for brunch," Cersei says, making her way back to the kitchen with Cat in her arms.

Jaime follows, he picks up his now cold mug of coffee and dumps it in the sink before pouring himself another. He inhales the steam coming off the magical dark liquid before taking a sip, letting it burn his throat as he swallows.

_One day at a time_ , he thinks, _confront my father, then one day at a time. We can do this._

*********

The following monday Jaime strides into the Great Lion's office, surprising him. Tywin shoots out of his seat and takes off his reading glasses, "Jaime, where in the Seven Hells have you been," he barks.

Jaime sighs, "I told you I was taking time off the last time we spoke."

Tywin visibly clenches his jaw, "Yes, but I thought you meant a day or two. Sansa left last tuesday for the Gods' sake, what have you been doing?"

Jaime buries the urge to roll his eyes, "I've been thinking. I want to resign and go into architecture," Jaime says, like ripping off a band-aid.

Tywin splutters for a second, "W-What? Architecture, since when?"

Jaime scoffs, "Since about, oh, I don't know, my whole life?! I never wanted to do what you do, architecture is what I went to university for!"

"What about my legacy? You have to take over for me when I retire," Tywin growls, getting more impatient by the second.

Jaime scoffs again, "Please. You're going to work until the day you die because it's the only thing you've ever loved; making money. And what about _my_ legacy? I want to make my own name in the world. The name Lannister will live on whether I follow in your footsteps or not."

For a split second Tywin looks like he could blow steam from his ears before he schools his expression, sniffing haughtily and straightening the cuffs of his dress shirt. He seats himself behind his desk again, folding his hands under his chin and leveling Jaime with a chilling glare, "Fine. I will let you resign-" Jaime deflates with relief prematurely. "-If you give me partial ownership in whatever business you own. Once I die, it's solely yours. As far as _Lannister Financial_ goes, I will name Addam my successor and you'll split ownership fifty-fifty upon my demise. Deal?"

Jaime weighs his options, it's not a terible deal unless is father is, in fact, invincible. He narrows his eyes at his father, sure that he's getting the short end of the stick somehow, "What percent do you want?"

"Seventy. I'll cover all start-up costs, which won't be cheap, seeing as how you're not licensed yet," Tywin says, point blank.

Jaime internally groans, this is almost the exact opposite of what he wants, basically his father is going to start an architecture firm and put him in charge of it. Although, if he's honest with himself, he could use the help. Jaime has his bachelor's in architecture but no idea how to go about starting his own firm, he hasn't even completed an internship. Jaime fumes, mulling over his options, he has a fair amount of money in savings but it's probably a drop in the bucket of the overhead costs alone.

Jaime clenches his jaw so hard he can hear his own teeth grind, but extends a hand for his father to shake. "Deal," he grits out, but Gods, does it rankle his pride.

Tywin gives him a wry smirk as he shakes his hand, "Good choice, son. You're officially on two weeks notice, and since I'm feeling generous, you can keep your severance pay. You'll need it for that internship you'll have to complete. Make sure to get Addam up to speed, and you can close that on your way out," he says, nodding towards his still open office door before putting his reading glasses back on and going back to work. Effectively dismissing him.

Jaime leaves the Great Lion's office, closing the door behind him, feeling defeated; like a scolded hound with its tail tucked between its legs. The feelings aren't unfounded, Jaime definitely got the short end of the stick. Tywin would have his legacy one way or the other, but he threw Jaime a bone by doing him this _little favor._ Jaime feels sick with himself but tries to push it aside, he always leaves his father's presence feeling manipulated into one thing or another.

Jaime finds Addam in his office, next door to Jaime's, and gets him up to speed. Addam's face falls briefly when Jaime opens with the fact that he's resigning but he brightens up when Jaime says he's going into architecture with his father's support. "That's great! That's what you always wanted to do, right?"

Jaime musters a small smile, "Yeah, I'm excited, and you're gonna be Tywin's successor finally. Gods know you have more of a head for this stuff than I do."

Addam smiles and nods, "Thanks, Jaime. I look forward to being co-owners, one day." Jaime nods as well, holding his hand out for Addam to shake.

Addam brushes him off and stands to wrap Jaime in a hug, patting his back. "This is gonna be great, and keep your chin up about Sansa, man. She's crazy to let a guy like you go," he says.

Jaime tries to huff a laugh as he pulls away but it comes off choked, wet with sudden emotion. He looks down and sighs, "Sure, thanks. I'm gonna let you get back to work, man. I'll see you later," he says as he leaves Addam's office to go back to his own. Addam watches the door close behind Jaime and feels his brows knit with concern. He's never seen Jaime like this.

Jaime rushes into his office and slams the door behind him, pulling the blinds down over the window in the door. He sits behind his desk and buries his face in his hands, trying to smother the tears and silently cursing himself. _Gods, I'm such a coward,_ he thinks. He's picked up the phone dozens of times over the last few days to call Sansa, or the number in White Harbor, only to put it back down when he can't bring himself to dial _any_ numbers. His damnable pride prevents him from begging her to come home, which is exactly what he wants to do every time he picks up the phone.

Every time his phone rings he answers without bothering to look at the caller ID, frantic, hoping it's Sansa. Even if she just wants to tell him she and Joanna are okay or to ask after Cat. He wants to hear her voice, and yet, he can't bring himself to call her. He vacillates between believing Sansa would rather see him dead than ever speak to him again, and believing that Sansa was the one to leave; if she wanted to come back she would, a single phone call wouldn't make or break her decision. It's a vicous cycle that always ends with him stewing in his own misery.

_Gods, what the fuck is wrong with me?_ Jaime thinks as he finally lets himself cry in earnest. _I'm crying in my office, my wife left me, I have to start from square one to follow my dreams AND my father will still have his bloody claws in them. Fucking pathetic. No wonder Sansa left._

Jaime cleans himself up after he's wrung dry, and packs the meager belongings he has in his office. He has two framed pictures on his desk that he hasn't looked at since the evening before Sansa left. The first is a selfie of them while they were still aboard the _Queen Alysane;_ Sansa is smiling widely, her eyes squinty and nose crinkled up, her arm around his neck as he kisses her cheek. He has both arms around her waist as she was the one taking the picture.

The second is of Sansa in their bed with one of the girls under each arm. Jaime couldn't tell you which was Joanna and which was Catelyn as it was shortly after they were brought home, wrinkled and squalling, looking pretty much exactly the same. Jaime took the picture, standing over Sansa in bed to get a shot of her looking up at him and both girls sleeping peacefully. Sansa is smiling softly, no make-up and bedhead on display with bags under her eyes, but the more Jaime looks at the picture he realizes that's the most beautiful she's ever been in his eyes.

He picks it up with a lump in his throat, tracing over Sansa's features with the tips of his fingers. Against his will another tear slips down his cheek. _Fuck, can I really not stop? Never in my life have I cried this much,_ Jaime thinks, letting out a deperate sob as he clenches his eyes shut. Jaime puts the frame in his file box, face down, with the other one. He's not really sure what he'll do with the pictures once he gets them home.

Jaime leaves his office feeling like a kicked puppy, and groans internally when he hears his father call for him from his office as he passes by. Dutifully, he turns around and walks back into the lion's den. "Yes, Father?"

"Randyll Tarly is the man you'll intern for, he suggests you register for the master's program at your alma mater," Tywin says, straight to the point.

Tywin's tone doesn't lead him to believe any of it is a _suggestion,_ Jaime nods. "Duly noted, thank you, Father," he says, backing towards the door.

"Randyll is an old friend so I would appreciate if you don't embarrass me," Tywin says, leering down his nose.

Jaime scoffs, "How could I do that, pray tell?"

"By snivelling about your failed marriage," Tywin answers with cold rage. "Don't think it's not obvious you were crying in your office just a few minutes ago, it is. People say it takes a lot for a good woman to leave her husband. You've not been married a year and Sansa's left, that means either she's an undesirable woman you never should have married in the first place, or she's had one foot out the door since the day you brought her home. I, frankly, don't know which is worse."

Jaime feels his nostrils flare as he sees red, all the blood rushing to his head with his rage. "Fuck you," he mutters under his breath, through gritted teeth. "Never speak that way about Sansa again. It was me, my fault that she left. I was too much like you, a distant workaholic," he sneers.

Tywin purses his lips and cocks an eyebrow, "Funny, your mother never left," he retorts, smug.

Jaime clenches his jaw and swallows down the roar he wants to let out. Instead of killing his father with his bare hands, Jaime exhales slowly through his nose, nods, and turns around to leave. He doesn't slam the door behind him so hard the glass shatters like he wants to. He closes it with a quiet _snick,_ and strides away.

 _Fuck, he's actually evil,_ Jaime thinks, getting into his car after leaving the building as quickly as he could. _He's evil, and I signed over my dreams in blood. My father is going to own me for the rest of my life._ The thought makes him sick to his stomach as he peels out of his parking spot.

"Fuck! The best thing that man can do for me is actually die," Jaime roars to the interior of his car, flooring it to put as much distance between himself and Tywin as quickly as he can before he does something stupid.

*********

The next few months fly by. Cersei moves in after he's officially done at _Lannister Financial_ to look after Cat while he interns for Randyll Tarly by day, and studies for his master's by night. On his first day, Randyll tells him specificly he doesn't usually take on interns without their master's, but did a favor for Tywin. That just serves to make Jaime feel like more of a whipping boy than he already does.

Jaime is so busy his thoughts of calling Sansa fade away almost entirely, he still has no idea what he would say if he did call her. Regardless, he's surprised when a strange young man appears at his door as he's getting ready to leave for work, asking, "Are you Jaime Lannister?"

Jaime's still half-asleep after pulling an all-nighter to get a paper done, but he has the presence of mind to ask, "Who wants to know?"

"It's a yes or no question, sir," the young man says.

Jaime spots the manila envelope under his arm and his stomach drops. _Oh Gods, no,_ he thinks, "Yes, I'm Jaime Lannister," he answers quietly.

The young man thrusts the envelope towards him, "You've been served. Have a nice day," he says as Jaime takes the envelope.

Jaime growls under his breath and the kid scampers away before he slams the door. He opens the envelope, dreading what he already knows is coming. He pulls the stack of papers from the envelope and the words _Petition for Dissolution of Marriage_ glare at him from the top of the header page.

Jaime feels the wind knocked out of him, like a swift punch to the gut. "Oh fuck. Gods, no," he rasps, dropping the pages to watch them flutter to the ground around him. "Damn it, I should have called her," he shouts, swiftly turning to punch the wall behind him with a roar. _Too late now,_ he thinks sullenly, pulling his fist from the drywall near the front door.

 _Welp, shouldn't have done that,_ he think as Cat's cries echo down the hallway, she and Cersei were still sleeping when he had answered the door. He stoops down to pick up the papers and try to put them back in order. Cersei comes down the hallway to the foyer in her robe with a fussy Cat in her arms.

"Jaime, the Gods' sake, what's going on?" Cersei asks groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as Cat reaches for him. Jaime takes Cat from Cers and props her against his chest so she's facing away from him. Cat can hold her head up by herself now and gets fussy when she can't see what's going on, so this is how she prefers to be held.

"Sansa actually filed for divorce. I was _served_ and everything," Jaime says, gesturing to the littered papers with his free hand.

"And that?" Cersei asks, pointing at the fresh hole in the wall with a yawn, like she's bored of his dramatics.

Jaime shrugs, "Curse of impulse."

Cersei rolls her eyes, "Well, I hope you're looking forward to fixing it, _Mr. Architect,_ " she says as she takes Cat from his arms again, heading to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Jaime scoffs, "I'd be happy to fix at least one thing in my life," he calls after her, bending down to pick up the rest of the papers. He shoves them in his satchel to take with him to work, he'll look over them if he has time between coffee and copy runs. Jaime groans out loud as he gets into his car, twenty-nine years old and an intern on minimum-wage. Pathetic. This is what he gets for not standing up for himself when it came to working for his father in the first place, he supposes.

Jaime goes about his work day on auto-pilot, his mind solely on the document still in his satchel as he runs back and forth to City Hall collecting blueprints and building permits. Jaime finally has a free moment to look at the papers when Randyll lets him take his lunch, well into the afternoon. The only thing Jaime eats is away at his nailbeds as he reads over the petition for divorce.

Sansa doesn't ask for alimony, or child support, not even visitation rights for Cat. All she asks for is full custody of Jo and that both their surnames be changed back to Stark.

_She really wants absolutely nothing to do with me,_ Jaime thinks sullenly, leaving his initials and signature in all the notated sections. Jaime doesn't have it in him to ask Sansa for anything, can't muster up any fight. If she's content to never see him or Cat again that's her choice, and Jaime is just fine with it. He pretends to be, anyway.

Jaime wracks his brain for anything specific he could have done to drive her so far away, or if it was just all the things he _didn't_ do. He didn't help her with the girls, he didn't ask if she was happy, he didn't consider her feelings when he went right back to work after the girls were born.

_Didn't, didn't, didn't._

The only thing he _did do_ was take Sansa for granted. He can't even remember the last time he said the words _I love you_ to her. He didn't think he had to, he figured she knew, she had to. But in reality they had been together for less than a year and they were married with twin baby girls. Everything happened so fast, they had more than most couples had after being together for half a decade. They were married before they even lived together, for the Gods' sake.

_The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long,_ Jaime thinks, _but how do you relight the flame when it's cold?_ _I guess the key is never letting it go cold in the first place._

Sadly, that's where Jaime failed. Jaime has no excuse for becoming a workaholic like his father other than wanting to be a good provider. He wanted to give Sansa and the girls the world, when all he really needed to give them was his love and attention.

Jaime feels himself getting choked up when he gets to the last page, signing it at the bottom. He inhales through his nose and exhales through his lips, trying to shake the oncoming tears. He hasn't been overly emotional since he started his internship, he doesn't have the time, usually. Bringing his _divorce papers_ to work may not have been his best plan.

_Don't want to embarrass the old lion, after all,_ Jaime thinks bitterly. He's avoided his father to the best of his ability over the last few months, since that day.

_Funny, your mother never left._ The words still ring in his ears, and Tywin's all too self-satisfied smirk lingers just behind his eyelids.

_Gods, I really do wish he would just drop dead,_ Jaime seethes internally, _fucking heartless man. He's been like this since Mother died, like she was the only thing keeping him remotely human and capable of sympathy._

Jaime shoves the papers back in his satchel with a groan, and finding himself with a complete lack of appetite, he tosses the meager sandwich he had made this morning before getting back to work.

Jaime sits on the divorce papers for a bit, meaning almost a week. He agonizes over whether he should even send them or not. They arrived with Sansa's signature already in place on every page, waiting for his approval. He's signed them, yes, but when he sends them back it will be official. He will be married and divorced before thirty. He thinks about calling her, but figures it would be too little, too late.

Jaime sends the papers back to the Stark's family lawyer six days after he received them, signed and initialed in all the right places, and doesn't think about it again.

He goes back to his internship, keeps studying for his master's, and doesn't think about it. Doesn't think about how he should have called her, _just once._ Doesn't think about how much he misses her. Doesn't think about how badly he fucked up.

_Doesn't, doesn't, doesn't._

But, _he does_. He thinks about how much he still loves her and misses her, he thinks about how badly he fucked up, how sorry he is. _He does._

He still doesn't call.

Instead he finishes his internship. He graduates from grad school with his master's in a virtual ceremony, his degree is mailed to him. He gets his architecture license, and a business license. He procures a studio and hires a couple architects to work under him, and keeps not thinking about it.

*********

Before he knows it Cat is three years old and giving he and Cers a run for their money, while also keeping them wrapped around her little fingers. Jaime's first project as an architect is designing his own home, of course with Cat and Cersei in mind. Besides tuition for his master's most of his severance pay ends up going towards the house. He buys a plot of land with rolling hills surounding it and designs a house he's proud of. He doesn't turn a profit, obviously, but the first time he feels truly successful is when he walks through the front door with Cat in his arms and Cersei at his heels, gasping, "Jai, this is beautiful." 

Jaime is ashamed to admit that Tywin's help has been incredibly beneficial for _J. Lannister Architecture._ With Tywin's high-profile contacts Jaime has had a couple incredible contracts in the year they've been in business. However, their father/son relationship remains in tatters, Jaime doing his best to avoid any conversation with his father unless it pertains to business. 

The biggest job they've had so far is remodeling _The Dragon Pit,_ a massive century old theatre. From start to finish the project takes almost nine months and nets a massive profit, along with a whole slew of high-profile clients of Jaime's own. Jaime has never been so busy but always makes time for Cat, often bringing her to the office with him.

Jaime is on his way to the site of a new aparment complex being erected in downtown Lannisport when he sees Sansa's face for the first time in almost four years. He's walking passed a newsstand when he sees Sansa's smiling face on the cover of _Westeros Weekly,_ he stops and does a double take before picking up the gossip rag. Sansa is smiling and waving with Joanna on her hip, and she looks just like Cat, Sansa's minature except for his green eyes. The headline reads, _'Up and Coming Northron Designer, Sansa Stark, KILLS IT at KL Fashion Week with Adorable Daughter on Her Hip.'_

Jaime flips to the article and the gruff man behind the stand barks, "This ain't a library, buy the mag or get lost." Jaime nods absently, pulling bills out of his pocket and slapping them on the counter before he walks away with the magazine. He skips over the bulk of the article until he gets to the Q&A section.

**_Q:_** _W_ _hat inspired you to start your brand,_ S. Stark _?_

 _ **A:** I've always wanted to be a designer, but_ honestly, _I started my brand after I got divorced. I married young, right out of university, and it sadly didn't work out. I decided instead of wallowing in my misery I'd leave my mark on the world, and bring Northron culture to the forefront of Westeros._

_**Q:** You've certainly done that, Ms. Stark. How many stores do you have now?_

_**A:** I have three Northron locations already and we are opening a fourth here in King's Landing at the end of this year, hopefully to expand throughout the Crownlands._

_**Q:** That's incredible. How do you do it all with your daughter and at only twenty-five?_

_**A:** I've been incredibly blessed, my father is very supportive and I have all the help I could ask for from my his steward and dear friend, Stannis Baratheon. Stannis is like an uncle to me, and he and Jojo are thick as thieves. (Sansa looks over her shoulder towards her daughter, the adorable Jojo and her best friend Stannis, and blows the giggling girl a kiss.)_

_**Q:** That's absolutely precious. To wrap up, do you have a five-year plan? Any idea what's next for the brand?_

_**A:** Honestly, I'm taking it one day at a time. Jojo starts school full-time in a couple years so I'll have a lot more free time on my hands, and we'll see what I can do with it._

The article ends praising Sansa's drive and ingenuity, as well as her obvious devotion to being a mother. Jaime's heart swells and breaks in equal measure. He's so proud of her, _but Gods_ , does he miss her. _She did it, all on her own,_ Jaime thinks, smiling sadly to himself. He tucks the magazine into the back of his portfolio and finishes walking to the job site. _Congratulations, love, you deserve it. I'm sure now that I would've just held you back._

When Jaime gets home that evening he finds Cersei in the kitchen, fixing supper for Cat, and slides the magazine across the counter to her. Cersei glances at it and turns back to the banana she was slicing before doing a double take. Dropping the knife on the cutting board she picks up the magazine, "Holy shit," she breathes, looking up at Jaime.

Jaime smiles and nods down to the magazine, "I know, read the article."

"Why in the Hells are you smiling?" Cersei asks with confusion, her brows furrowing.

Jaime shrugs, "I don't know, I'm happy for her. I'm... proud of her. Even though I have no right to be, she did this despite me, I really am. She deserves it."

"Huh," Cersei mutters, finding the article and reading through it, she grimaces and sucks a breath through her teeth. "The first thing she talks about is your divorce and you're happy?"

Jaime shrugs again, "She didn't say anything bad, and she didn't mention me by name, I don't think that's anything to be upset over. It's the truth."

Cersei hums and reads on, cooing at the part about Joanna, "Who's this Stannis Baratheon? He sounds dishy."

Jaime chuckles and rolls his eyes, "They hardly mentioned him, what makes you say that?"

Cersei shrugs, "I don't know, it's an attractive name, and he obviously waits on my little neice hand and foot which is attractive in and of itself. Nothing sexier than a man good with kids."

Jaime plucks the magazine from Cersei's hands and goes to show Cat in her highchair, "Look who it is, Princess."

Cat looks up and lights up when her eyes focus on the cover, "Mama," she cries with glee, making grabby hands at the magazine. Jaime lets Cat hold it and watches her little nose scrunch up with confusion before she looks back up at him, "I' dat me?"

Jaime smiles sadly, "No, baby. That's your sister, Jojo," he says.

"Dodo," Cat repeats, "Sisser."

Jaime chuckles and pets Cat's hair before kissing the crown of her head, "Yeah, Princess. That's your sister, Jojo. Can I have it back so you can eat your dinner?"

"M'kay," Cat says, dropping the magazine to the floor and reaching for the plate Cersei brings over. Jaime chuckles and picks the magazine back up, kissing the top of her head again before following Cersei into to the kitchen. He helps her make their own dinner while Cat munches away on her peanut butter and banana sandwich.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to talk about Joanna? Cat is going to be heartbroken growing up without her sister if you and Sansa refuse to see each other," Cersei says as she chops onion and garlic for spaghetti sauce.

Jaime shrugs, browning beef at the stove, "I don't know, she's still pretty young, she might not even remember this."

Cersei sighs, "If you say so."

 *********

Cat starts school the autumn after she turns five, and Jaime misses having her at the office with him everyday, strangely feeling like he has nothing to do while being impossibly busy. He also started following Sansa's career religiously after he saw that article a short two years ago. He's even bought himself a few pieces from her first line, _Wolf's Blood,_ his favorive being a black leather bomber jacket with a large direwolf sigil in blood red stitching on the back. He also has a few watches, and the first backpack he bought for Cat when she started school. It's technically a mini-backpack but it's just her size, made of white leather with a direwolf sigil in silver stiching on the front. Cat loves it, she's just as proud of her Mama as Jaime is.

As Jaime expected, Cat never asks about Joanna again and he assumes she forgot entirely. After Cat starts school the years start tumbling over one another through his fingers until his world stops on it's axis.

When Jaime is thirty-seven and Cat is nine, Tywin Lannister suddenly suffers a massive stroke at seventy years old. He was at work in his office. Jaime receives the call from Addam, and rushes to the hospital cursing himself the whole way. _Fuck, fuck, fuck. This is exactly what I said would happen, Gods, what is wrong with me?_

Jaime never truly forgave his father for what he said about the end of his marriage to Sansa, and their relationship never recovered. Tywin was only invited to holidays and Cat's namedays, but he adores his granddaughter and she adores him. _This is going to break Cat's heart,_ Jaime thinks. Cersei should be picking her up from school any minute now.

Jaime arrives to the hospital and is greeted by a red-eyed Addam. "I'm sorry, Jaime. They tried to stabalize him in the ambulance, but he was pronounced dead on arrival," he chokes out.

Jaime feels the wind knocked out of him, bending at the waist to put his hands on his knees so he doesn't pass out. "Gods, no," Jaime groans. "Why couldn't I have just forgiven him?"

Addam comes and rest his hand on Jaime's shoulder, "We'll get through this, man. Nobody saw this coming, it's not your fault."

Jaime feels bile climb up his throat. _I cursed him to an early demise, don't tell me it's not my fault,_ he thinks bitterly. "Fuck, I think I'm gonna be sick," he mutters, rushing back out the doors of the hospital to heave into the bushes.

Addam follows him out and pats Jaime on the shoulder in a comforting gesture, "You all right, big guy?"

Jaime spits into the bushes. "No, I'm not," he rasps, before spitting into the bushes again. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and straightens up slowly, feeling faint. He clenches his eyes shut and leans back against the side of the building, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth until his heart rate slows down. "Fuck," Jaime sobs, pressing his fingers into his eyes to keep the tears at bay.

"Come here, man," Addam mutters, putting his hands on Jaime's shoulders to bring him in for a hug. Jaime goes willingly, wrapping his life-long best friend in a crushing hug. Addam and Cersei are the closest thing he's ever had to siblings, besides Cat they're all the family he has left. He lets himself cry as Addam rubs soothing circles over his upper back.

After a few more moments Jaime forces himself to suck it up, clapping Addam on the back before he pulls away. He sniffles and scrubs a hand over his cheeks before clearing his throat, "So what do we do now?" Jaime asks, his tone of voice still dripping with tears. He clears his throat again.

Addam wipes his own eyes and clears his throat, "Well, since the doctors did the declaration, we make arrangements to have him transported to a funeral home and call his attorney and everything to go over his will and estate," he says, his own throat thick with emotion as well.

Jaime groans and leans back against the side of the bulding again, "Gods, I think I might be sick again."

"Just breathe, Jai, then we can go get you some water before we figure this out," Addam says, patting Jaime on the shoulder.

Jaime nods, focusing on his breathing until he feels less shaky. He pushes himself off the wall and follows Addam back inside to get some water before talking to whoever he needs to talk to.

When Jaime gets home that evening Cersei is the first to greet him, "Gods, Jaime, I'm so sorry. How are you?"

"I guess Addam called?" Jaime answers her question with another question.

"He texted, but seriously, how are you?"

Jaime sighs, "I honestly don't know. Where's Cat?"

Cersei nods upwards, gesturing to the upper floor, "In her room, practicing."

"You haven't told her?" Jaime asks.

Cersei shakes her head no, "I figured you'd want to be the one to tell her."

Jaime nods with a sigh, heading for the stairs. Jaime raps his knuckles against Cat's cracked bedroom door before pushing it open the rest of the way. Cat is sitting on her bed, long, long, auburn hair falling over her face as she looks down at sheet music and strums her acoustic guitar softly.

"Hey, Princess," he says, prompting her to look up at him with a smile.

"Hi, Daddy. You're home from work late, what's up?"

Jaime sighs as he comes to sit on the edge of her bed, "I have something to tell you, and it's gonna be hard to hear, as hard as it's gonna be for me to say," he starts, reaching for her hand.

Cat puts her guitar aside and takes his big hand in both of her smaller ones, her brows knitting together with concern, "Daddy, what's wrong? What happened?"

Jaime takes a deep breath and covers her hands with his other one, looking his little girl in the eyes, he feels a tear slip down his cheek against his will. "Daddy?" Cat asks again, voice hitching on a whimper.

"Baby, I don't know how else to say this, so I'll just say it. Papa Tywin passed away today," he finally tells her, bringing his free hand to cup her cheek as more tears escape unbidden.

"What? He's gone?" Cat asks, barely above a whisper.

Jaime watches her eyes brim with tears and gives her a little nod, "I'm so sorry, baby."

Cat's breath hitches a few times, tears slipping down her cheeks before she sobs in earnest, releasing his hands to cover her face as she cries. Jaime gathers her in his arms, kicking off his shoes so he can bring his legs up and lean back against Cat's headboard, cradling her to his chest so she can cry it out. He rocks Cat back and forth as she bawls against his shoulder, rubbing her back up and down in a soothing mothion as he lets himself cry with her.

Eventually her tears subside to hiccups and sniffles when Cat mumbles, "I never got to say goobye."

Jaime presses his lips together and breathes deeply through his nose, clenching his eyes shut to keep more tears at bay, "I know, baby. I didn't either, but we'll both get a chance at his memorial service," he chokes out.

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?" Cat asks, before sniffling and hiccuping again.

"Of course, Princess," Jaime says, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Did you have dinner before I got home?" Cat nods against his shoulder in answer. "Do you want some ice cream before bed?" Cat sniffles, and nods her head against his shoulder again. "All right, let's go," Jaime says.

Cat lifts her head from his shoulder but keeps her arms wrapped around his neck, "I'm gonna miss Papa," she says, her little chin trembling as she frowns.

Jaime swipes his thumb over her tear stained cheeks, "I know, baby, I am too." Jaime presses a kiss to her forehead before ushering her out of his lap to stand.

They walk downstairs into the kitchen, Cersei is leaning against the counter and wringing her hands, waiting for them to come down. She sees Cat's red eyes and cheeks and immediately goes to wrap the girl up in a hug, cooing, "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. You want some ice cream?"

Cat looks up with a sniffle and nods, "Dad wants some too," she mumbles wetly.

"I know, baby," Cersei croons, "let's all have some and then it's off to bed, okay?" Cat nods again and seats herself at the kitchen island. Cersei gets out bowls and spoons, serving everyone their favoite flavor; cookie dough for Cat, butter pecan for Jaime, and strawberry cheesecake for herself.

They sit at the island together, all in a row with Cat in the middle, and eat their ice cream in sullen silence. Once they finish Jaime ushers Cat up the stairs to brush her teeth and says he'll be up in a minute. He helps Cersei load the dishwasher, he rinses and she puts everything where it goes before closing the door and starting the cycle. Cersei pulls him into a hug and places a chaste kiss to his cheek, "Goodnight, Jaime. We'll get through this, one day at a time," she says.

Jaime almost chuckles, "One day at a time," he repeats. It's been his mantra since the day Sansa left.

*********

The years following Tywin's passing find Jaime a little stir-crazy. He inherited his father's fortune and half of _Lannister Financial,_ not to mention _his own_ architecture firm, and all that coin burns a bit of a hole in Jaime's pocket. He decides to do something he's always been interested in. Buying up all the acres surrounding his property, he starts growing varieties of hops and builds an onsite brewery, just for fun he buys ten acres closer to the house for a pasture and stables. By the time Cat turns twelve he's almost ready for full scale production of _Lion's Head IPA_ _._

Before Cat finishes sixth grade she begs to go to camp for the summer, and Jaime wants her to have that experience. He does his homework and finds an all girls camp in the Reach that he thinks would be a good fit for Cat, Highgarden Camp for Girls. They have scores of activities to participate in over the eight week duration of camp and a massive facility, the max capacity being three hundred and fifty campers as well as an entire staff.

Jaime reserves a spot for Cat and books her a plane ticket. Cat advances from sixth to seventh grade and officially becomes a middle schooler, and just two days later Jaime is putting her on a plane to the Reach. Cat has never been on a plane before, Jaime offered to go with her but she said she'd be okay.

He hugs her goodbye, "You make sure to write me, okay? I wanna hear about everything, Princess," He says, tucking her hair behind her ear. It ends just below her jawline now, and Jaime still isn't used to it after she declared she wanted to cut her hair and pierce her ears only days after her twelfth nameday.

"I know, I'll try to write everyday. Promise," Cat says with a smile, wrapping her arms around his waist for another hug before she goes through security. "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Princess. I'm gonna miss you so much," Jaime says.

"I'll miss you too. Okay, I'm gonna go now. I love you," Cat says turning towards security with a wave.

"I love you too," Jaime says, waving back. He watches her advance through the line until she makes her way towards the terminals.

Cat turns back and waves her arm high above her head, rising on her tiptoes to make sure Jaime sees her.

Jaime waves back before cupping his hands around his mouth, "I love you, Cat. Be safe, and write me," he bellows across the airport, his voice reverberating off the walls.

"I will, I love you too!" Cat calls back, waving, before finally turning around and heading towards her gate.

Jaime watches her go and feels his heart drop into the pit of his stomach, he's going to miss his little girl. Eight whole weeks without her is going to be maddening. They've never spent more than a night away from each other, her first sleepover in second grade was rather anxiety inducing for him if he's honest. He spent half the night pacing, waiting for a call that Cat wanted to be picked up that never came. He didn't pick her up until the next afternoon and she had loved every minute of the sleepover.

So, Jaime knows that Cat will be perfectly fine, but Gods, what about him? He's sure to go crazy unless he finds a decent distraction. Eight weeks doesn't seem like such a long time, _but it is_.

_Cat could be a whole different girl by the next time I see her,_ Jaime thinks sullenly, as he finally turns around to leave the airport.

_Oh, if he only knew how different things would get._


	4. Twelve Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat and Joanna meet each other at Highgarden Camp for Girls, at first it doesn't go all that well, until they make a life changing revelation about themselves and each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where all the original characters come into play, most of them being the girls that Cat and Jo each make friends with. This is my first foray into writing original characters and children, so this chapter has been a doozy for me to write, hopefully it reads well. Thanks for sticking with me!

Catelyn Lannister rolls into Highgarden Camp for Girls on the big camp bus that collected her from the small airport, marvelling at the tall trees and lush green hills, and they pass by a huge lake, almost entirely hidden by the thick treeline. Soon enough Cat can see the numerous cabins nestled in the forrest surrounding the lake.

The long line of busses park and begin to deboard, various aides and camp counselors start unloading bags of varying sizes from under the busses. Cat spots an aide with her big yellow duffel bag hoisted over her shoulder and hustles off the bus to catch up with her.

"Wait," Cat calls, trying to get the aide's attention as she weaves in and out of campers and counselors alike, trying to catch up, "That's my duffel!"

Just as Cat finlly catches up the aide tosses her duffel into a huge pile, where it proceeds to get buried by all the others. "Excellent," Cat grumbles sarcastically to herself, "How am I gonna do this?" She finds the strap and tries to tug it out before another girl comes up behind her.

"First year, huh," the girl says as Cat keeps tugging away.

Cat turns to find a girl about her age with mousy brown hair in a messy-bun and glasses, "How'd you know?"

"Because you couldn't get your duffel off the aides before it got tossed into the heap," the girl starts, "I'm Eugenia Tarly, my friends call me Genie."

Cat smiles at the other girl, "I'm Catelynn Lannister, everybody calls me Cat. Could you give me a hand?"

"No problem," Genie says, grabbing the strap and tugging with Cat. Another girl on the opposite side of the pile with long dark hair in denim cut-offs and a rainbow tie-dye t-shirt dislodges her duffel with one swift tug.

"Woah, now that's the kind of energy I need," Cat says, letting go of her duffel to put her hands on her hips.

Genie cups her hands around her mouth and calls after her, "Hey, tie-dye girl!"

The girl in question looks back with her eyebrows raised until her gaze lands on Cat waving her over.

"What's up," she says, walking over to Cat and Genie.

"Would you mind helping me out with my duffel? You seem to know your way around the heap," Cat says around a chuckle, pointing it out.

The girl huffs a laugh, "You could say that," she says as she pulls Cat's duffel from the ever growing pile, "I was practically raised here. My great-grandma and great-aunt run the whole thing. I'm Eirin Greyjoy."

"You're related to the Tyrells?" Cat asks, grabbing her duffel from Eirin.

"Yeah, on my mom's side. I've seriously got more cousins than can I count, many of them also here," she says around a chuckle, rolling her eyes.

"Thanks again for the help, I'm Cat Lannister," Cat says as the head counselor, Marcia Tyrell, calls out her name for bunk assignments.

"Right here!" Cat calls, raising her hand for Marcia to see her.

"You're in Harrowfast," Marcia calls back.

"Hey, me too!" "That's where I am!" Eirin and Genie declare in unsion.

"Right on, let's go," Cat says, heading towards their bunk with the other two girls falling in step beside her. "Either of you guys know how to play poker?"

Eirin and Genie mumble a 'Nuh-uh,' and Cat has to bury her smirk, her dad and Cersei taught her a few years ago and she's gotten pretty good. "No? Gee, that's a shame. So, uh, how much cash did you bring for the summer?" Cat asks, just as a shiny black town car crosses in front of them down the gravel road.

"Sheesh, I wonder who's in there," Cat says, voicing the other two girls' thoughts as well.

*********

Joanna Stark gazes out her window with wide eyes, the quaint countryside campground is littered with girls of all ages. She hopes to make a few friends here over the next eight weeks. She doesn't really have any friends back in White Harbor, besides Mother and Stannis, the latter who escorted her to Highgarden Camp for Girls.

The car comes to a stop and Stannis gets out to open her door, helping her out of the car before closing it behind her.

"Thank you, Stannis," she says in her distinctive Northron lilt.

"Of course, my lady. Shall we go over the list from your mother?"

Joanna nods and Stannis takes out his pocket book and pen, flipping it open before he clicks his pen.

"Multi-vitamin?"

"Check."

"Sunscreen?"

"Check."

"Insect repellant?"

"Check."

"List of daily fruits and vegetables?"

"Check, check."

Stannis cocks an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Check for fruits, check for vegetables. Go on," Joanna says with a giggle.

"Personalized stationery and stamps to write your mother, grandfather and myself, everyday?"

Joanna nods and smiles up at Stannis, "I've got it all, I think. Thank you for escorting me, Stannis. I'll miss you."

Stannis smiles down at his little lady, "Always a pleasure, my dear, and I'll miss you too. Before I forget," he pulls something from his inner chest pocket, "A gift from your grandfather, spanking new deck of cards. Maybe you can find someone in the Reach that can whip your tush at poker."

Joanna feels herself grin wider up at him, "I doubt it, but they're welcome to try."

Stannis smiles down at his little lady, tucking a lock of long copper behind her ear before cupping her cheek briefly, "Have a good time, Jojo. Give me five," he says, holding his hand out to her.

Jo slaps her hand in his and they complete the intricate hand shake they had come up with when Joanna was six or seven, before hugging goodbye. "Bye, Stannis," Jo says as she pulls away.

"Goodbye, my dear. Remember, if at any time you want to leave I will come back here and collect you before the end of camp. I'm only a phone call away," Stannis says, taking her hands in his.

Joanna squeezes his fingers, "Thank you, but I believe I'll be all right."

The driver of the town car honks the horn. "You'd better go," Joanna says, nodding to the car.

Stannis reluctantly lets go of her hands, "All right, see you in eight weeks, my dear, and not a minute sooner," he says, wagging a playful finger at her before climbing back in the car, rolling the window down to wave as they pull away. Jo waves back with a smile.

Once the car is out of sight Joanna gathers her bags to get settled in Hightower bunk. After unpacking a little bit and changing into her camp uniform she follows her bunkmates to the mess-hall for lunch. She makes fast friends with two of the younger Tyrell cousins, Roseanne Tyrell and Grace Baratheon, chatting away as they stand in the serving line. Jo is delighted to find out Grace is distantly related to Stannis, and they bond quickly.

*********

Cat is filling her plate while she talks to Genie and Eirin, when Olenna Tyrell herself cuts in front of her to get to the selection of fruit.

"Pardon me, girls, I just have to get a few of these gorgeous strawberries before they're all gone. They're grown locally, you know, would you care for some, dearie?" Olenna asks, turning to Cat.

Cat gives her an apologetic smile, "I would, but I'm allergic," she says, exiting the line to follow Genie and Eirin.

"Oh, that's unfortunate. How about you, dearie, strawberries?" Olenna asks the girl on her other side.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I'm allergic," Joanna says to the Tyrell matriarch.

"Allergic, of course," Olenna starts, doing a double take at Joanna, "I- you just told me that, how did you get over there?"

Joanna just looks at her, brows furrowed in confusion.

Olenna huffs a laugh, "You'll have to forgive me, child, first day of camp. The old girl is getting up there in years," she starts, piling strawberries on her plate again, "Senior moments and all. At least I'm not putting salt in the sugar shakers..." Joanna sneaks away as Olenna chuckles to herself, "I meant, sugar in the salt shakers," she says, looking up again to find the girl gone. "Where'd she get to now?"

*********

The first time Joanna and Catelyn interact doesn't go very well, by all accounts it goes pretty badly. The first week of camp girls are encouraged to try out all of the activities available to them, ranging from the arts like theatre and dancing to various kinds of sport. Joanna is walking back to Hightower bunk with Rosie and Grace from the archery range when they come upon a group of girls fencing in the main courtyard.

"En Garde," one girl shouts, jabbing the other girl in the chest and knocking her backwards. Marcia comes to the middle of the circle, declaring the winner. "All right, another match for our camp champ Ms. Cat Lannister! Do we have any more challengers?"

The girls already in the circle stay silent, "Come on, ladies, let's not be damsels in distress here," Marcia says.

Joanna sets her bow against a tree and approaches the circle, "I'll take a whack at it."

"Okay, we have some fresh meat. Joanna Stark challenges, suit up!" Joanna puts on a uniform and grabs a foil, pulling her helmet on as she enters the circle. "Take your positions, ladies," Marcia says as the girls face each other, "Ready?"

Cat flips her foil around in a circle before slashing through the air, "Ready," she declares.

Jo whips her blade up from the ground with her foot, catching it by the handle and twirling it through the air, "All set."

"Fence!" Marcia calls, blowing her whistle.

The girls start at each other with a flurry of motion, clashing blades in the air and parrying blows from each other. They chase each other all over camp, jumping and dodging, slashing and jabbing, until they're by the stables.

Joanna gains the upper hand, backing the other girl into a railing, "En Garde," she cries, jabbing the other girl in the chest and knocking her backwards. Head over feet Cat tumbles over the railing and into the large water trough with a shout.

"Oh, goodness, I'm sorry! Let me help you," Jo shrieks, reaching over the railing to help the other girl out.

"No, let me help you!" Cat takes the girl's hand, and tugs her over the railing. Joanna goes over, falling into the trough with a shriek.

Once Joanna rights herself she turns on the other girl, "Hey! What did you do that for?!"

"Me?!" Cat shrieks, "You pushed me in!"

"Not on purpose! And I was _trying_ to help you _out_ _!"_

Marcia comes over with the rest of the girls as Cat and Jo are helping themselves out of the water trough, Grace and Rosie come to help Jo and Eirin and Genie help Cat. "All right, that was quite the show, and we have a new camp champ Ms. Joanna Stark! Now, shake hands, girls," Marcia says.

Cat and Jo take off their helmets but refuse to face each other, crossing their arms defiantly.

"Come on, be good sports and shake hands," Marcia chides.

Cat rolls her eyes and turns to face her opponent, finding her mirror image, at least when she still had long hair, she tries and fails to hide her astonishment. She feels her jaw go slack before snapping it shut again. Cat holds her hand out tenatively towards the other girl, and when she takes it the ghost of a memory flashes in her mind. A picture of her mum with another little girl on her hip, _not_ Cat, her own lispy voice as a toddler saying _'Dodo. Sisser.'_ She drops the other girl's hand with a gasp like she'd been burned.

Cat shakes it off. _That's impossible,_ she thinks, looking anywhere but the other girl. "What is everyone staring at?" Cat asks casually, as if she doesn't _know_.

"Don't you see it?" Joanna asks, slightly breathless with receding shock. _It's like I'm looking in a mirror, except for the shorter hair,_ she thinks, taking the other girl in.

"See _what?"_ Cat asks, clipped.

Joanna rolls her eyes, growing frustrated, "The resemblance. Between us," she says, gesturing between them with a hand.

"Resemblance? Between you and me?" Cat snarks.

"That's what I _just_ said, you don't see it?"

Cat hums, stalling, of course she sees it but she can't wrap her mind around this right now. She can't say for sure if what she _thinks_ she remembers is an actual memory, or some kind of dream. She wishes she could call her dad. Either way she's not going to give this Northron priss the satisfaction. "Turn to the side for me."

Joanna rolls her eyes again but turns to the side.

Cat hums again, "I see, now the other way." Eirin and Genie snicker over her shoulder.

Joanna scoffs and side-eyes the other girl but turns the other way.

"Okay, I see what you mean. I suppose there is a slight resemblance, although your eyes are much farther apart than mine, and your teeth are a little crooked. Not to mention those ears, but I'm sure you'll grow into them. I mean, you'll have to, it's not like they could get any bigger. Ugh, and that bump on your nose."

Jo gasps and covers her nose with a hand, she loves her nose, it's perfect and just like Mother's. _There's no bump, that was just rude,_ Joanna thinks.

"Not to worry, dear," Cat carries on, "Those things can be fixed. But you wanna know the real difference between you and I?"

Rosie steps up beside her, fists raised, "Lemme deck her for ya," she says, scowling. Cat gives her a mocking look and turns back to Jo.

"Let me guess," Joanna says, motioning for Rosie to step back again, "I know how to fence and you don't? Or, I have class and you don't? Take your pick."

Cat grinds her teeth together, "Why, I oughta-"

Marcia cuts in then, "All right, that's enough, it's time to break this up. Now, Joanna, Cat- I mean, Cat, Jo. Wait, I mean... woah."

Cat and Jo glare each other down before huffing and stomping away towards their cabins, their bunkmates trailing after them. From there the rivalry is born. 

*********

Over the following week Cat hears through the grapevine that the Stark girl has been holding poker tournaments in Hightower bunk after lights-out every night. Cat, Genie, and Eirin sneak out of Harrowfast that night after the final head count and make the trek down the hill towards Hightower.

Joanna has just bluffed her way into winning the biggest pot of the night, effectively emptying the coffers of nearly every girl in a three bunk radius. All she had was a pair of Jacks.

"Anymore takers?" Joanna asks the girls surrounding the makeshift poker table. Groans and mutterings of 'I'm out,' flow around her and Jo lets herself smirk.

The screeen door of the cabin swings open before slamming closed with a _thwack._ " _I'll_ take a whack at it," the voice of the Lannister girl rings out, echoing Joanna's words from the previous week, and the smirk slips off her face.

Joanna rolls her eyes, groaning internally, "Have a seat, Lannister. Hope you brought your allowance."

The sea of teenage girls flooding the cabin parts to let Cat through to take the seat across from Joanna, emptying her sock full of silver dollars onto the cot between them. Eirin and Genie stand over Cat's shoulders, smirking down at Joanna like vultures.

Cat and Jo ante up and the game begins. Jo deals them each five cards and they place their first bets. Cat discards two cards right away and Jo deals her two more before discarding and taking three of her own.

They bet back and forth, seeing and raising, discarding cards and taking new ones until Cat pipes up again. "Care to make this interesting?" Cat asks as she raises again.

Joanna sess her bet, "Perhaps. I have already doubled the money I brought with me for the summer. What did you have in mind?"

"Loser jumps in the lake," Cat starts.

Joanna scoffs. Sure, it would be cold at night but that's the best she can do? "Seriously?"

" _Stark_ naked," Cat says, challenging her bravado with a cocked eyebrow.

Joanna swallows nervously. _But not to worry,_ she thinks, I _won't be the one jumping in the lake in my nameday suit._ "Deal. Let's see those cards, Lannister," Jo says, laying down her own hand. "Straight, in hearts. Think you can beat that?"

Cat sucks a breath through her teeth, "You're good, Stark. Very good. Unfortunately, you're just not good enough," she lays down her cards and is so deeply satisfied by the indignant gasp the other girl lets out. "And that, would be a Royal Flush, Your Grace," Cat stands and sweeps an exaggerated bow while all the other girls clap and cheer behind her.

Joanna feels her cheeks flush to rival a ripe tomato. She stands, clearing her throat, "Right. A deal is a deal, let's get this over with, then," Joanna says, marching out of the cabin without looking back.

Cat follows right behind her with a smirk as all the other girls flow out behind her. Joanna makes her way to the dock with her head held high, Peeling out of her clothes and leaving them in a pile at the foot of the dock, Joanna walks to the end, naked as her nameday. She takes a deep breath and looks over her shoulder at the rest of the girls huddled on the shore, no turning back now.

_Your mother didn't raise a coward,_ Joanna thinks, she nods resolutely and gives a salute to the other girls. Cat salutes her back mockingly and Joanna feels her eyes narrow. She shakes it off, it's time to prove a point. Taking another deep breath and plugging her nose she dives into the lake.

As soon as the Stark girl vanishes below the mirrored surface of the lake Cat springs into action, running to the foot of the dock to scoop up her pile of clothes. _"Go, go, go,"_ she whisper shouts, running back up the shore.

The group of girls huddled on the shore disperse, taking off in all different directions back to their own bunks. Genie and Eirin wait for Cat, laughing with her as they run away. Cat tosses the Stark girl's clothes into the shrubs outside Hightower bunk, "Good game, Stark," Cat snarks, making Genie and Eirin crack up all the way back to Harrowfast.

Joanna breaks the surface of the lake, triumphant, until she sees all the other girls running away. _Oh no,_ she thinks, _what if it's a counselor?_

Unfortunately, Joanna isn't that lucky. She can't pull herself back onto the dock without scratching herself something awful, so she swims back to shore, only to find her clothes are gone. Even her socks, all the Lannister girl left behind were her sneakers.

_How did I not see this coming?_

"That little bitch," she huffs to herself, "If that's how she'd like it, then so be it. Game on, Lannister."

*********

It had been a whole week since the poker tournament and Cat hasn't seen hide nor hair of the Stark girl. _Probably still wallowing in shame,_ she thinks, amused with herself. Cat, Genie, and Eirin are on their way back to Harrowfast after the three-on-three basketball tournaments this morning, after having gone on a sunrise hike with all the other twelve to fourteen year old girls. Cat is exhausted and it's only ten in the morning.

"Ugh," Cat groans as they're cresting the final hill to Harrowfast, "I am so tired. I'm crawling back into bed, and sleeping until lunch."

"Don't think that's a possibility, babe," Eirin says, stopping short so Cat bumps into her.

Cat eyes her friend, bemused, "Why not?"

Genie points to the roof of their cabin, "Uh, that's why not."

Cat looks up to where the other girls are focused and spots her cot and duffel on the roof of the Cabin. "How in the Seven Hells," she mumbles to herself. "How did she know that was my bed? Where did she get that kind of intel!?" Cat growls, rounding on her two friends.

"Hey! Don't look at us when there are literally two hundred and forty-seven _other_ girls here," Eirin shouts, glaring at Cat.

"Seem a bit defensive," Cat says, meeting her glare. Eirin doesn't back down. Cat scrutinizes her, hands on hips. "Okay. It wasn't you, or Genie, but someone in our bunk or close to us had to have told her."

"We can worry about that later, let's get your cot off the roof of our cabin first," Genie reasons.

"Yeah, sorry guys, I know you wouldn't sell me out like that," Cat says.

"Never," Genie says definitively.

"Not in a million years," Eirin agrees.

The three girls approach the cabin, contemplating how they could get up to the roof, and how the Stark girl got everything up there in the first place. She had to have had help, the question was from who. Cat will worry about that later, however. She seethes internally as Genie and Eirin give her a boost to the roof.

First she tosses down her duffel, grumbling angrily to herself, "That Northron priss is going to pay for this one." Cat decides to toss down the thin mattress and bedding next, the aluminum frame will be awkward to get down but not too heavy by itself. She waits for Genie and Eirin to come back after dragging her mattress and bedding into the cabin.

Inch by inch Cat lowers the frame down to Eirin and Genie. Once they have it down in one piece Cat whoops and claps, "Teamwork, baby! Now get me down from here," she says with a chuckle.

Cat sits on the edge of the roof with her feet dangling down, "How should I do this?"

"Flip around so you're arse first and belly down, then kinda like shimmy off the edge until you can grab on and hang down. We'll catch you," Eirin says.

Cat feels her eyebrows hit her hairline, "No offence, but that sounds sketchy as shit."

Eirin and Genie laugh. "Come on, we've got you. It's only a few feet," Genie says.

Cat huffs, but how else is she supposed to get down? "If you bitches drop me and I break an ankle, it's _over_."

"Stop being a wuss, Lannister! We got this," Eirin says around a chuckle.

Nodding resolutely, Cat _very carefully_ lays back and flips onto her stomach, wiggling backwards until she feels hands wrap around her skinny ankles. She lets out a breath of relief before she shimmies further down to grab onto the lip of the roof and let herself drop to hang down.

"Let go, we've got you," Genie assures.

Cat takes a breath and lets go. Both girls catch her, but her sudden weight sends them tumbling to the ground in a heap of knees and elbows. No bones broken, at least. The girls detangle their limbs from each other, laughing all the while.

Cat rolls on her back in the grass with a sigh, "Thanks guys, I knew you had it in you."

"Shut up," Eirin and Genie say in unison, smacking Cat good naturedly.

Cat laughs, getting up and brushing herself off before helping Genie and Eirin up, "Now. How are we gonna get this girl?"

*********

Three nights later Cat, Eirin, and Genie sneak out of Harrowfast bunk after the final head-count and trek down the hill to Hightower. Unable to find out exactly who helped the Northron priss get into the cabin and put all of her belongings on the roof, they decide to hit Stark and her known conspirators in Hightower bunk. Everything else is collateral damage. Cat picks the lock on the inner door and creeps in as quietly as she can with Genie and Eirin trailing behind her before they unload their supplies.

They pilfered bottles of vegetable oil, honey, molasses, and chocolate syrup from the mess-hall specifically for this mission; as well as ballons, shaving cream, and spools of yarn from the arts and crafts bulding. They spend the next three hours laying their traps. Covering the Baratheon girl in honey and the Tyrell girl in shaving cream before rigging the water balloons above the Stark girls's bed and covering the floor around her bed in molasses.

They string yarn all over the cabin to disguise the pull cord to the ceiling fan that they piled with loose feathers from their pillows, and the pully system for the bucket full of chocolate syrup above the front door. Pouring vegetable oil on the floor towards the door they back out of the cabin.

Setting the bucket above the door and their last trap they leave the cabin, half amazed none of the girls woke up, and giddy for the sunrise. They go back to Harrowfast and try to get a few hours of sleep but they're unable to help themselves from giggling together in their beds.

They sneak back out of Harrowfast before they blast the horn over the PA system to wake all the girls for breakfast, and post up outside one of the windows of Hightower to watch the chaos unfold.

The Stark girl wakes first, sitting straight up in bed with a gasp at the strings of yarn covering the cabin. She throws off the covers and swings her legs over the edge of the bed to put her feet on the floor. She groans and whimpers at the squishy feeling of the half-dried molasses between her toes, and screams when she realizes she's all but glued to the floor.

The Baratheon girl wakes next from the sheer volume of Joanna's scream, and starts shrieking "Ew, ew, ew," at the honey covering her from head to toe. The Tyrell girl wakes next, moaning, "Oh. My. Gods," as her hands fly up to her head and the shaving cream covering her hair before she screams and sits straight up in her bed.

Joanna dislodges her feet and hits the trip wire attached to the water ballons above her bed so they come spilling down. She jumps out of the way of the first few and sighs triumphantly until she looks up to see a water balloon the size of a basketball rolling off the support beam behind the others. She shrieks and ducks, covering her head with her arms before it crashes down on her.

Soaking wet and pissed as all Seven Hells, Jo declares, "That girl, is the worst, most vile creature to ever walk the planet!"

Cat laughs outside the window, "Why, thank you, thank you very much," she says delightedly before going back to watch through the window.

Just then Marcia comes down the path behind them, "Good morning, girls," she sing-songs as she passes.

"Morning, Marcia," the girls reply in unison absentmindedly, before looking back in the window. A second later they do a double-take to where Marcia is marching towards the front door of Hightower bunk. "Marcia?!"

"Surprise inspection, Hightower!" Marcia sing-songs again, heading up the steps.

Cat flies towards the front porch and vaults herself over the railing to plant herself against the screen door before Marcia can reach for it. "You don't wanna go in there, Marcia. One of the girls got sick last night and it's a big, big mess. Truly disgusting."

Marcia furrows her brows, "Well, if one of the girls is sick I should check on her," she says, reaching for the door again. Cat almost slaps her hand away as she shouts, "No!"

Olenna comes up the steps behind Marcia, "What is the problem, here?"

"Cat says one of the girls is sick but won't let me through," Marcia tells her mother, hands on her hips.

"My dear, if someone is sick we must go in," Olenna says, reaching for the door herself.

"Please! You can't go in, she's very sick and I'm afraid highly contagious. Save yourselves, seriously," Cat all but begs.

The blinds on the window beside the door suddenly roll up and Joanna appears, "I'm not sure what Cat is talking about, we're all fine in here. You can come in and see for yourselves, I insist," she says, earnestly, hand over her heart and everything.

"Oh, Gods," Cat mutters under her breath and rolls her eyes.

"Move aside, dear, I won't ask nicely again," Olenna says, grasping her shoulder to pull her away from the door.

"I warned you," Cat groans under her breath, but dutifully moves away from the door. She covers her face with her hands when the front door is opened, but the scream from the two women is all she needs to hear to know the bucket tipped.

Olenna and Marcia rush inside the cabin to escape the chocolate waterfall only to hit the vegetable oil and slide across the cabin, Marcia shrieking, "Mother!" at the top of her lungs. They fall to the floor in a heap of limbs as the girls of Hightower watch on in shock and slight amusement. They slip and slide all over the floor trying to right themselves, and Marcia reaches up to grasp the doll hanging from the pull cord that turns the ceiling fan on.

"No, don't!" Cat cries from the doorway, but it's too late. The ceiling fan turns on full blast as Marcia pulls herself up then Olenna, and fluffy little featers rain down over the cabin as if it was snowing. "I told you it was a mess in here," Cat moans, stomping her foot.

"She should know, she did it!" Joanna cries, ratting her out.

"You!" Olenna cries, pointing an accusatory finger at Cat and blowing a feather away from her lips, before point the same finger at Jo, "And you! Pack your bags!"

*********

After cleaning up and packing their belongings, Cat and Jo are led on what can only be described as a Shame Hike, every single girl at Highgarden Camp following behind them before being allowed to go to their activities for the day. For the Gods' sake, they may as well have been ringing a bell, chanting 'Shame, shame.'

As they crest yet another hill Olenna stops and turns, bringing her megaphone to her mouth, "All right, ladies, to your activities!" The literal hundreds of other girls clap and cheer, taking off back down the hill. Olenna lowers the megaphone with a sneer. "As for you two, the Isolation Cabin!"

Marcia dramatically points to the lone cabin atop the hill, one hand on her hip, and the girls groan in unison. Cat pulls her suglasses from the top of her head to rest over her eyes before hauling her duffel up the long steps to the cabin. Joanna groans pathetically and follows after her.

_So much for making friends,_ Jo thinks sadly, trudging up the steps with her luggage.

The girls unpack in the dusty cabin in heavy silence, save for the Stark girl's wistful sighs every few minutes.

Cat sighs, low and long, letting her head drop back to roll her eyes at the vaulted ceiling clogged with spiderwebs. _"What?"_ Cat asks tersely

Jo retaliates immediately, "Don't take that tone with me, this is all _your_ fault. If you hadn't completely _wrecked_ my cabin we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Cat scoffs, "If _you_ hadn't put all my shit on the roof of _my_ cabin, I wouldn't have wrecked yours! How did you even know which bed was mine?"

Joanna actually rolls her eyes, "Your duffel has your name on it, _stupid_ , and it was shoved under the bed." She shakes her head and goes back to unpacking on her side of the room.

"Hey!" Cat huffs indignantly, stomping over to Jo's side of the cabin, "Don't call me stupid, _Miss Priss_. We have to spend the next five weeks here and I'd rather not kick your arse on the first day!"

Joanna barks a laugh, " _You_ kick _my_ arse? I do Taekwondo with my mother every morning. Try me."

Cat scoffs, "I do kick-boxing with my father," she says, putting her hands on her hips and jutting her chin out haughtily.

Joanna mirrors Cat's position and narrows her eyes, holding her glare until the lunch bell rings and they both deflate, the tension in their bodies rolling off them like waves. They break eye-contact and look at the floor, their stomachs growling in unison. They weren't allowed breakfast before being led on their Shame Hike.

Cat lets out another weary sigh and looks back up at Joanna, "Wanna get lunch?"

Jo sighs as well, nodding, "I'm starved."

Cat cracks a small smile, "Me too."

They make the long trek down to the mess-hall in tense silence, arms crossed with two feet between them they give each other sidelong glances as they walk. They join the line in the mess-hall and fill their plates. Cat thinks to herself that they have similar tastes before she spots Genie and Eirin at the Harrowfast table. They wave at her before giggling and whispering in each other's ears. Cat slips them the middle finger discreetly and they giggle more, she can't help but smile fondly. They better be grateful she didn't rat them out as conspirators.

Joanna and Cat settle at the Isolation _Table,_ under a window near the front of the room and tuck into their meals silently. They both pick at their food, determined to look anywhere but each other.

"I'm sorry," Joanna mumbles, pretending to look out the window.

Cat shuffles the salad she put on her plate with her fork, "Me too. What exactly are you sorry for?"

Jo sighs and runs her finger along the rim of her green plastic cup, "Everything I guess, for calling you stupid. That prank was actually pretty genius, but you have to know you were bound to get caught."

Cat nods even though the Stark girl isn't looking, and can't help huffing a laugh," Thanks. Yours was good, too. I'm sorry for stealing your clothes," she says to the window.

Despite herself Joanna chuckles, "It's fine. Truthfully, I don't know how I didn't see it coming," she says, finally looking up from her cup to catch Cat's eyes.

Cat looks away from the window to find Jo looking at her with a soft smile and she can't help but smile back. They go back to their lunch in somewhat amicable silence.

The tentative sense of peace they had found over lunch disolves throughout the rest of the day, the girls coming to a head again after lights-out. The lights were _not_ _out,_ and Cat was trying to sleep on her side of the cabin while Jo was awake on her side wrting letters. After tossing and turning, trying to sheild her eyes from the light, Cat sits up with a frustrated huff and flicks the lightswitch on her side of the single room, blanketing them in darkness.

Jo makes an offended noise and flips the switch on her side of the room, flooding it with light again. Cat pops up from her bed and switches it back off. This goes on for what could have been minutes or hours until Cat leaves them on and screams, "Fine!"

She buries herself under her blankets, grumbling angrily and hugging the stuffed wolf she's had since she was a baby to her chest. Just a few moments later Jo sighs and turns the light off from her side of the room and curls up in her bed to go to sleep.

*********

Their second day in the Isolation Cabin, it rains. Heavily. With gusts of wind strong enough to blow girls over. All outdoor activities are cancelled, not like _they_ could attend any. Cat distracts herself by hanging her pictures on the wall, but a window was left open and a gust of wind disturbs her entire collage. A few picures that she hadn't hung yet flutter to the floor. Cat rushes to the window and tries to shove it closed but it won't budge.

Joanna sucks a breath through her teeth and gets up from her bed to help Cat. They try to tug the window closed but even with both of them it still won't move. "Gods, it's really stuck," Joanna grumbles.

With a groan and hard yank from both girls the window finally gives and slams closed fast enough to tumble the girls into each other. Jo catches Cat and they right themselves with an awkward chuckle before Cat goes to pick up her pictures from the floor.

Joanna kneels beside her to help pick them up, plucking up a photograph of a golden-haired man from behind, looking at a big house and standing in what appeared to be a driveway. "Who's that?" Joanna asks curiously as she hands the photo to Cat, ignoring the hitch in her voice and the butterflies in her tummy.

Cat lights up, "Oh, that's my dad, I took it when he was having his brewery built," she says with a fond roll of her eyes, taking the photo from Joanna, "He didn't know I was taking the picture otherwise he would've turned around. He's like my best friend, you know?"

Joanna feels goosebumps on her arms and rises from the floor, shivering as she tugs her sleeves over her hands and goes to sit back on her bed. _This can't be happening. I didn't see the front of him, but I know that man. I can see his smile, and his eyes that are the same shade of green as mine,_ Joanna thinks.

"Hey, you okay?" Cat asks.

Joanna shakes her head but hears herself saying, "Fine. It's just... chilly in here."

Cat hums, shuffling her pictures away before digging in the trunk at the end of her bed and extracting a pack of Oreos, "You want one?" Cat asks, brandishing the package in the air like it's contraband.

Jo perks up. "Sure, I love Oreos," she starts before huffing a laugh, "At home, I dip them in peanut butter."

Cat gives her a surprised expression, "No way! So do I!" Cat reaches in her trunk again before pulling out a jar of Skippy. She makes her way to Jo's side of the room and sits on the trunk against the wall at the end of her bed. She dips a cookie in the jar of peanut butter before offering it to Jo who does the same.

"How old are you?" Joanna asks, before biting into her treat.

"I just turned twelve on May 23rd," Cat answers, biting into her own cookie.

Joanna chokes on the bite in her mouth, pounding her chest until she can breathe again, "So did I," she rasps.

"No way," Cat says.

Joanna just nods at her with wide eyes, _This is getting too weird,_ she thinks.

"Huh, what a small world," Cat starts, "So, what's your dad like? Like, can you talk to him about stuff or is he one of those workaholic types who's like, 'I'll talk to you later, honey,' but, you know, never really does? I hate that," Cat says as she chews, propping her foot on the lid of the trunk and tucking her other leg behind her heel so she can rest her elbow on her propped knee as she appraises Joanna.

The butterflies flare up in Joanna's tummy again, she chews and swallows contemplatively, "I've never had a father. Well, I suppose I did at one point, but my parents divorced before my first birthday," she admits.

"That's weird, so did mine. Crazy how nobody stays together these days," Cat laments, just before the lunch bell rings, "Hey, it stopped raining. Wanna get lunch?" She stands without a response from Jo, putting away the cookies and peanut butter before heading out the door.

Joanna follows slowly, grasping the necklace she's had since birth. Mother told her it was from her father's father; her granddad on her father's side. "Cat?" Joanna starts tentatively, "What's your mother like?"

Cat sighs sadly, "I don't remeber ever meeting her, but I know she's incredible, and crazy beautiful."

"How do you know?" Joanna asks.

Cat sighs again and rolls her eyes, "Nobody ever believes me when I tell them, but, my mother is Sansa Stark. Like, the designer, Sansa Stark. I have a picture of her. My dad kept it in a drawer, but he always found me looking at it so he let me keep it."

Joanna feels the color drain from her face, storming back into the cabin, _Oh Gods, oh Gods, it's true!_ She paces back and forth with her hands running through her hair until Cat comes back in.

"What is your deal?" Cat asks, incredulous. "Seriously, I'm hungry, let's go get lunch."

Joanna rounds on her, almost furious in her panic, they've been lied to their entire lives. "Don't you understand?!"

Cat shrinks back, "For the Gods' sake, understand _what?"_

"Don't you see? _My_ mother is Sansa Stark, famous designer. What is your father's name?" Joanna shrieks.

Cat's breath catches in her throat, "Jaime Lannister," she answers quietly.

Unbidden, tears roll down Joanna's cheeks, "Oh, Gods. They've lied to us, both of us, for our entire lives," she mutters, before rumaging in her stationary for the only photograph she has of her father, holding it to her chest as soon as she finds it. "I'm going to show you something that I've had for a long time, and you have to promise not to freak out."

Cat nods absently, "Okay," she breathes. Joanna holds out the photograph to her, ripped down the middle, and when Cat's eyes focus through the sheen of her tears she finds her father's smiling profile. Jaime Lannister, twelve years younger and smiling brighter than she's ever seen.

"Oh, my Gods," Cat sobs, covering her mouth with both hands, tears stream down her cheeks as she goes back to her trunk. She digs through her belongings frantically before finding the other half of the photo. She turns back to Joanna with the photo, ripped down the middle, pressed against her chest. "This is scary," she sobs, still clutching the picture to her chest.

"I know," Joanna croons, strangely soothing, "Can I see?"

Cat nods, pulling the picture away from her chest, her arm feels like lead as the ripped edge of the photo of her mother matches up with Joanna's photo of her father. Cat lets go a single sob and turns to Joanna. _I was right,_ she thinks distractedly.

Both girls are shaking as they look into each other's eyes, "Good Gods," Joanna mutters, unable to believe the truth before her eyes as more tears slip down her cheeks.

Cat sniffles, "So if your mum is my mum, and my dad is your dad, and we're both born on May 23rd, that means we're like... sisters," she says, disbelievingly.

Joanna laughs through her tears, "Sisters? Cat, this means we're twins!"

"Oh, my Gods," Cat mutters through her own tears, half laughing, half sobbing, before she throws her arms around the other girl.

"Oh, my Gods," Joanna agrees, accepting Cat's embrace.

They part sniffling and Cat pulls out a necklace from her shirt and rubs her thumb over it, muttering, "I can't believe this."

"What are you holding?" Joanna asks,.

"It's my locket. I got it from my Papa when I was born, there's a C on it," Cat answers.

Joanna gasps and pulls her own locket from beneath her sweater, "I got one, too, mine has a J on it. So it was from Dad's dad? Has he said anything about me?"

Cat frowns, her chin trembling as more tears roll down her cheeks, and shakes her head, "Papa didn't tell me before he died a few years ago. Dad never said anything either, except one time when I was like, really little. There was a magazine cover of Mum at a fashion show with you on her hip, I asked if it was me, and Dad said it was my sister Jojo, _you._ As I grew up I thought it was a dream."

Jo starts crying again and wraps her sister in her arms, Cat can't help but cry with her until they pull apart. "Suddenly I'm not so hungry anymore," Cat says sullenly, wiping her eyes.

"Me either," Jo says. The twin girls hold each other's gaze until they dissolve into to tears again and wrap each other back in a fierce hug. They sink to their knees, still sobbing and wrapped in each other's embrace.

"Gods," Cat mutters against Jo's shoulder before pulling away to see her twin's face and stroke her long copper hair, so much like her own, "I'm not an only child, I'm a twin. There's two of me. Gods, I mean... two of us."

Joanna nods, and strokes Cat's hair as well as they hold onto each other, "I don't know how, but I've missed you. My whole life, I missed you."

Cat sobs, falling back into her sister's, her _twin's_ , embrace. "Gods, I missed you, too. So much."

The girls cry and rock from side to side as they hold each other. By the time their tears dry up completely it's almost dinner time. They skip dinner like they did lunch, rearranging the cabin so their beds are pushed together under the side windows of the cabin. They can see the moon above their heads as they lie in bed. They lie face to face, holding hands and playing with each other's fingers as they talk quietly.

Finally Joanna asks if Dad has ever been close to remarrying. "Gods, no. He always says I'm his number one girl," Cat answers.

Joanna breathes a sigh of relief, "Mother's never come close either. I honestly can't remember the last time she went on a date."

Cat hums, "When did Mum tell you Dad's name?"

Joanna hums before answering, "I don't remember how old I was, but I asked mum who my father was. I think it was during kindergarten or pre-school, we were making projects for Father's Day, and I asked who mine was. When I was little I thought it might be Stannis, but mum brought out the picture of him. She said, 'That's your daddy, Jaime Lannister.' I remember feeling my heart burst. I was so happy to see him, and he's so handsome. I told mum I thought dad was pretty, and asked if I could keep the picture. She said yes, but she seemed really sad."

Cat hums, "Dad was never shy about telling me who Mum was, he told me all the time when he bought me pieces from her fashion lines. The first backpack he bought me for school was a mini-backpack she designed, with a direwolf sigil in silver thread against the white leather. He would tell me, 'Momma made this just for you, Princess,' and I believed him, but I guess it's not entirely a lie, is it?"

Joanna chuckled, "I guess not."

They lie there quietly for another few moments until Cat sits up with a gasp, "I have the best plan. Seriously, I am a total genius," she declares, turning to Jo as she sits up warily.

"What is it?" Jo asks, already having an idea of where this is going.

"So, you want to get to know Dad, right? And I'm dying to see Mum," she says, trailing off to let Jo fill in the blanks.

"Yeahhh?" 

"So! We should switch places! Come on, Jojo, I gotta meet my mum."

"Cat, that would never work, you and I are completely different," Jo says, shaking her head.

Cat scoffs, "I'll teach you to be me and you teach me to be you! Look, I can do you already," Cat pulls her hair away from her face and puts on a fake Northron lilt, _"Yes, you want to know the difference between us? I have class and you don't."_

Jo rolls her eyes, but the idea has merit, "I suppose, if we did switch places, sooner or later they would have to un-switch us."

Cat nods along, "And then they'll have to see each other again, face to face."

"After all these years," Jo says wistfully before nodding resolutely, "I'm in, let's do it."

Cat flops back on her bed with a squeal and does a happy wiggle dance, "Yes! I told you I'm brilliant."

Jo giggles and reaches for Cat's hand as she settles down, they drift off to sleep facing each other and holding hands.

*********

The last few weeks at camp and in the Isolation Cabin are spent learning all the ins and outs of each other's life and how to be the other girl. Cat learns the inticate handshake Jo shares with Stannis, Jo learns how to ride a horse; thankfully they were only barred from activities for a week. Jo isn't exactly an expert in the saddle but she picks it up quickly, good enough to get by in case Dad wants to go on a ride.

Cat tells Jo all about Cersei, how she and Dad have been friends since they were kids, and how Cersei is tehnically their nanny but she's basically their aunt, and is delighted to learn of their Grandfather Ned. Cat tells Jo about Papa Tywin because she should know and Jo is sad for her, but they cheer up when Jo tells Cat how wonderful Grandfather Ned is.

Cat tells Jo she can play guitar and finds out Jo can play piano, they debate if they should brush up on each other instruments of choice but in the end decide it probably won't come into play in this particualr scheme. Unfortunately one thing that can't be avoided is their differing appearances. Cat convinces Jo she has to cut her hair and pierce her ears because, well, she really has to if she wants this whole plan to happen and work.

The last four weeks off camp fly by, the girls crawling into bed right next to each other every night and falling asleep, soon they'll have to be separated again. In hopes that it will be the _last_ time.

As much as Cat is going to miss her father she's ecstatic to finally get some face to face time with her mum. _Gods, I hope she likes me,_ Cat thinks as she and Jo are saying goodbye.

Jo hands Cat her airplane ticket and passport and Cat hands hers to Jo, "Remember, Stannis will be there to collect you at White Harbor Airport tomorrow morning," Jo says.

Cat nods, "Okay. You're gonna take the bus to the airport here with the other girls and fly out to Lannisport. Dad will meet you at the gate, it should only be a few hours."

Joanna nods with a smile, she can't wait to finally hug her dad. They stand there just grinning at each other for a second until a car pulls up along side the busses and Marcia calls for Jo, _Cat,_ over her megaphone.

"That's you," Jo starts, leaning in for a hug," Give Mum a kiss for me."

"Course, give Dad one for me. Okay, love you," Cat says, pulling away.

"Love you, too. Good luck," Jo says, bending down to pick up her bag and hand it to Cat.

"Joanna Stark, front and center," Marcia sing-songs over her megaphone.

Cat wraps Jo in another hasty hug, "Bye, love ya. I'll call you," she says, scampering off to the car. Jo waves as Cat approaches the car, Marcia opens the door for her before they share an awkward hug with Cat still holding her bags.

Jo breathes a sigh when Cat gets in and Marcia closes the door behind her, slapping the roof of the car as she walks away.

"Good luck," Jo says again, crossing her fingers.

The girls share a single thought as they're separated for the second and, hopefully, final time.

_Gods, I hope this works._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The parent pairs of the girls aren't relevant to the story but in case anyone is curious;  
> Eirin is the daughter of Theon Greyjoy and Margaery Tyrell (Her name is pronounced like Ear-in)  
> Genie is the daughter of Samwell Tarly and Gilly  
> Grace is the daughter of Tommen Baratheon and one of the numerous Tyrell cousins  
> And Roseanne (Rosie) is the daughter of Willas Tyrell and Jeyne Poole.


	5. Reunited, and it Feels So Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat arrives in White Harbor to a warm welcome from the Starks, and Jo arrives in Lannisport to discover a wrench, in the form of Jaime Lannister's young new love, has been thrown into their plans

On the descent into White Harbor Airport Cat takes deep breaths as she looks out the window to the city below, willing her fluttering heart to calm. _This is it. Gods, I hope she likes me. Please, please like me._

Once the plane lands Cat collects her carry-on from the overhead compartment, with the help of the kind old couple seated next to her, and the passengers file off the plane and into the terminal. Cat speedwalks towards baggage claim where Stannis will be, her heart beating in her chest in time with her steps. Coming down the escalator Cat searches the crowd until she spots the man in question, standing head and shoulders above everyone else and searching for her in return.

"Stannis!" Cat calls, almost forgetting her put-upon accent in her excitement. His head snaps in her direction and he lights up, waving to her before pushing his way towards her through the crowd, begging pardons along the way.

Stannis plucks her off the escalator before she reaches the bottom and sets her down with a smile, "Jojo, my dear! Who cut your hair for you?"

Cat feels herself beaming up at the man, "A girl I met at camp. And look what else," Cat says in her adopted Northron lilt, pointing to her ears, "She pierced my ears for me as well, do you like it?"

Stannis bends down to inspect her ears and cups her cheeks, "I love it, it's the new you. Now, gimme five." He straightens up and extends his hand to his little lady.

Cat sets her carry-on by her feet and slaps her hand into Stannis' with a smile, completing he and Jo's handshake with uncanny accuracy. They hug at the end and Stannis smooths a hand over her hair before they separate, "Missed you, Jojo. Let's get your bags and get home, aye?"

Cat beams up at him and nods, "Please," she says, reaching for his hand. They hold hands and all but skip to baggage claim then to the car, their arms swinging between them.

"Your mother cannot wait to see you, my dear, she's been going crazy trying to find things to do while you've been gone," Stannis says, reaching over to pat Cat's knee as he drives them towards the ancestral Stark manor. Cat can just smile and nod at him, afraid if she opens her lips all the butterflies in her tummy will fly up her throat and out her mouth.

It could've been hours or minutes later when Stannis declares them, "Home again," cheerily, pulling into the circular driveway and parking near the front gate.

Stannis turns off the car and gets out to open Cat's door, "Thank you," she finally manages as she steps out of the car. Cat stands at the gate just admiring the house for a second, a curtain flutters out of an open upstairs window in the breeze, before taking a deep breath and opening the gate to walk up the path to the front steps.

Cat pushes open the black front door with the big golden knob... to find a quiet house. "Hellooo?" She takes a few tentative steps into the foyer, and peeks in the entryway of the living room when a cough comes from the other side of the foyer, leading into Grandfather's study.

Cat approaches the doorway and finds Grandfather Ned at his desk, a newspaper blocking her from his view. "Grandfather?" The paper flips down to reveal Ned Stark, reading glasses on and tobacco pipe between his lips, "I'm home," she says with a shy smile.

Ned puts his paper and pipe down, taking off his reading glasses as he stands behind his desk, "Is that _my_ girl? That tall gangly thing?" Ned asks with a smile.

Cat feels herself beaming back at him as she nods, "It's me, I'm home," she says, walking towards his desk.

Ned comes from around his desk and pulls her into a hug, giving her a good squeeze as he pats her back, "Did you have a good time, sweetling?" Ned asks as he pulls away.

"Uh-huh," Cat mumbles, not letting him lean away from her embrace as she sniffs his wool blazer.

"What are you doing?" Ned asks with a chuckle.

"Just smelling," Cat says simply and goes back to sniffing.

"Smelling what?"

"I'm making a memory. Years and years from now when I'm all grown up, I'll remember my Grandfather, and how he always smelled of," Cat trails off and buries her face in his chest to take a deep inhale, "peppermint and pipe tobacco."

Ned laughs and gathers her up in his arms, "It's great to have you home, darling." Cat pulls away when she hears Mother call from upstairs, "Jojo? Is that you?"

Ned dismisses his granddaughter with a kiss to her forehead, "Go say hello, then."

Cat feels herself beaming up at him, giving him a nod as they part. Cat leaves the study to see Mother at the top of the stairs. Sansa Stark is as radiant as ever, and smiling right at her like she's never been so happy in her life. "Mother," Cat breathes around the lump in her throat.

"You're back!" Sansa exclaims excitedly, coming down the stairs to her little girl.

Cat launches herself up the stairs, tears clouding her vision until she's in her mother's arms. Sansa sits on the step to hold her little girl, rocking her back and forth. Cat pulls away slightly to get another good look at her mother's face, "I can't believe it's you," she mumbles, stroking her fingers through her hair.

"And I can't believe it's you, and with short hair. Who did it for you?" Sansa asks, stroking her baby's hair.

"A girl I met at camp, do you hate it?" Cat asks sullenly.

"Of course not, I absolutely love it," Sansa assures. "And you got your ears pierced?" Her little girl huffs a laugh and nods. "Well, are there any more surprises? Belly-button rings? Tattoos?" Her baby lets go a little sob and shakes her head as Sansa sweeps tears away with her thumb, "Oh, darling, what is it?"

"I'm sorry, I just missed you so much," Cat says, her natural accent slipping through the facade for a second. If Mother notices she doesn't mention it.

Sansa takes her baby girl in her arms again, stroking the back of her head, "I know. It feels like it's been forever, doesn't it," she croons.

Cat sobs again, "You've no idea," she mutters, squeezing tighter and burying her face in Mother's hair, breathing in her scent. Lemongrass and lavender. Cat sighs with bliss and lets her mind wander before they separate.

_I wonder how everything is going between Jo and Dad so far._

*********

Joanna deboards the small aircraft on the tarmac of Lannisport Airport, collecting her duffel from a baggage handler with a polite smile before turning to the crowd of people gathered around. Searching out golden hair and sparkling emerald eyes Jo stops dead in her tracks when she spots Jaime Lannister, _Dad_ , waving at her with a beaming smile painted across his face. "Oh Gods, it's him," she mutters to herself, clutching her locket in her fist.

"Hey, Cat! Welcome home, Princess!" Jaime calls, spotting his little girl and waving above the heads of everyone else around.

Jo hustles closer until they're just a couple feet from each other, and she stops, unsure of what to do.

Jaime crouches and holds his arms out to his number one girl, "Get into these arms, right now," he tells her with a beaming smile.

"Dad," Jo breathes, "Finally!" She drops her duffel and launches herself into his arms.

Jaime wraps his girl in his arms and lifts her from the ground, turning in a circle before he sets her down again. "Gods, I hope you had an awful time at that camp because you are _not_ going back, I missed you too much!" His little girl just giggles and beams up at him, like she can't look away.

Jaime can't put his finger on it, but something about her has changed. "Something's different about you, I'm not sure what it is. Are you getting taller?" Jaime asks rhetorically, measuring her with his hand against his chest.

Jo chuckles nervously but brushes the moment off with a question of her own, "So, what's up, Dad? How've Cersei and Leo been?"

Dad huffs a laugh and grabs her duffel from where she dropped it, hefting it over his shoulder as he steers them towards the _Land Rover_ with a hand on her shoulder, "Cersei is great, Leo's great. He's been having an awesome time chasing hares out of the hopfields," he says with a chuckle. "Eight weeks really is too long, Cat. A lot has been going on while you were away."

Jo practically scoffs, _"A lot_ has been going on with me too, Dad. I'm practically a new woman," she says, beaming up at him.

"What, did I cut myself shaving?" Jaime asks with a cocked eyebrow, noticing his princess won't stop staring at him.

"No, no!" Jo starts, "It's just seing you for the first time- I mean, in so long," she trails off with a chuckle, still beaming up at him, "You know, you look taller to me too, Dad."

Jaime laughs and tucks his little girl under his arm, "Come on, let's get home."

The trip back to the house from the airport is about half an hour and Jaime watches his little girl enjoy the scenery as it passes by her window until he speaks up again. "By the way, thanks for all those news-y letters. I'm really glad I bought you that personalized stationery you just _had to have,"_ he chides, patting her knee over the center console.

"Well, we meant to write, Dad-"

Jaime cuts her off, "We? Who's 'we?'"

"Oh, my friend and I. We got really close over the summer, practically like sisters!" Joanna answers, pausing to chuckle to herself, "She's a lovely girl."

Jaime takes his eyes from the road for a second to cock an eyebrow at his princess, "Lovely girl? Did I send you to summer camp or finishing school?" She just chuckles and gives him a sheepish smile. Jaime feels his eyebrows knit, _There's definitely something going on, here._

Jo sighs and looks out the window again. The Westerlands are so beautiful, big rolling hills on one side and the Sunset Sea on the other. The sun is brighter, the air is crisper. Jo doesn't understand how Mother could leave such a place, and her _father_ , behind for the North. Joanna loves the North, it will always be her home, but this is just... something else entirely.

Jaime breaks the silence again, "I see you're still biting your nails," he says, picking up her hand to look at her sparkly-blue polished, and freshly bitten, fingernails.

"Dad, you noticed!" Jo exclaims without thinking. Joanna never bit her nails before, but Cat explained that _she_ always had, so Jo had to start. Or at least pretend.

Jaime chuckles, "Noticed? You've been biting them for as long as you've had teeth."

Jo nods sagely, "You're right, but I've decided to stop, Dad. It's a horrid habit."

" _Lovely girl, horrid habit,_ " Jaime repeats under his breath, "And why do you keep saying 'Dad' at the end of every sentence?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was doing that, Dad," Joanna says before giggling, "Sorry, Dad." Dad smiles over at her, giving her fingers a squeeze. "You wanna know why I keep saying 'Dad,' the truth?"

"Because you missed your old man so much, huh?" Jaime asks, smirking over at his little girl.

"Yeah," Jo starts. "For my whole life- I mean, the past eight weeks, I never got to say 'Dad.' No 'Hey, Dad,' or 'What's up, Dad?' or 'See ya later, Dad.' Never. Not once; and if you ask me a dad is very important figure in a girl's life. Imagine not having that, you know? Whether it's just eight weeks, or a few years, or a lifetime; it's hard," she finishes softly, rubbing her thumb across Dad's knuckles as she peeks at him from under her lashes, worried she may have said too much.

Jaime smiles softly at his princess, "So, you missed just being able to call me 'Dad?'"

Jo beams up at him, "Yeah. I really have, Dad."

Jaime gives his girl's fingers another squeeze before letting go to put his hand back on the steering wheel, making the final turn towards _Lion's Head Acres_.

Joanna perks up in her seat when they cross under the sign, driving up the long gravel road leading to the house, "Oh, my Gods. Oh, my Gods!"

Jaime laughs, tossing his head back against the seat, "Now you're starting to sound like your usual self."

Dad pulls the _Land Rover_ up to the driveway and parks in front of the garage. After taking in the massive house of rich brown stucco with its wrap around porch and vines crawling all the way up one side, Jo opens her door and hops out of the SUV.

As soon as Jo has the door closed behind her, Cersei; in fashionably ripped jeans, a black tank top with one of Dad's old button-downs over it, and all her beautiful blonde glory, comes flying out the front door and down the steps. The top half of Cers' hair is pulled into a neat bun on the crown of her head with face-framing wisps and the mass of her hair free, flowing behind her like she's a shampoo model. Joanna is surprised by how pretty Cersei is in person, the pictures Cat had didn't do her justice. Cersei's smile is so much more genuine live, when it's directed right at you.

"Hello, gorgeous! Oh, look at you, you grew!" Cersei cries excitedly, wrapping the girl in her arms and rocking side to side. "Oh, we missed you so much," Cersei croons into the crown of her hair before planting a smacking kiss there and pulling away to take her hands. "Don't you dare let your old man talk you out of going back to camp, okay? You're a growing girl and you need adventure!"

"Okay," Jo breathes with a nervous chuckle.

"What's wrong, why're you so quiet?" Cersei asks, swinging their hands back and forth.

"Nothing, nothing," Jo sighs, "I'm just so happy to be home," she says with a smile.

Cersei gathers her in another hug before pulling away and holding her by the shoulders at arm's length, "You hungry? I made cornbread and chili for lunch."

Dad walks up behind Jo with Cat's big yellow duffel, "Did I hear something about cornbread and chili?"

Cersei laughs, "It's on the stove."

Jaime strokes a hand over his little girl's hair then presses a kiss to her crown before stepping away and heading into the house.

"So, Cat, do you want to eat and then unpack, or unpack and then eat? Or, we could eat while we unpack," Cers says, steering them up the front steps after Dad with an arm around her shoulders.

Jo slips her arm around Cers' slim waist, "I can eat in my room?"

Cersei scoffs lightly and cocks an eyebrow at her girl, "Yeah, I'd say it's a definite possibility," she starts sarcastically, "There's something different about you, little one. I can't put my finger on it, but something's changed."

Jo takes and expels a deep breath as they cross through the threshold into the house, "Well, it's the same old me. Honest," she says, crossing the fingers of her free hand behind her back and looking up at Cers with a smile.

Cersei feels her brows knit and she narrows her blue eyes, but before she can say anything else the family's two year old golden retriever comes barreling across the foyer towards them.

"Leo!" Jo cries, holding her arms out to the over-excited creature. Leo stops short so suddenly his paws skid on the hardwood, before he starts barking and backing away from her. Jo jumps slightly and looks over to Cers.

Cersei looks between the dog and the girl curiously before kneeling down by Leo to get him to settle. "What's the matter with you? It's just Cat, it's like you don't even recognize her," Cersei says, ruffling the fur behind his ears as Jo takes the oppurtunity to trail further into the house.

"It's even better than the pictures," Jo mutters to herself in her own accent, she's marvelling at the tall ceilings and huge mantle around the fireplace in the living room when Dad comes out of the kitchen with a bowl full of chili. "Hey, Cat, once you get settled come on down to the pool. I've got something I want to talk to you about," he says.

"Okay, Dad," Jo says with a smile.

"Okay, Cat," he says, before heading towards the french doors on the other side of the living room. Jo watches him go through the windows and he seats himself across from what appears to be another woman.

Jo's stomach drops to her feet, "Talk to me about what," she mumbles sullenly. Jo hears Cersei sigh behind her and send Leo out to the patio after Dad.

Jo is craning her neck to try and get a better view from her vantage point when Cersei puts both hands on her shoulders with another sigh, "Come on, we can talk upstairs," she says, steering her towards the back staircase.

Cersei unzips the big yellow duffel before emptying it on the bed. "Cat, it's none of my business who your father embarrasses himself in front of. He's a grown man and he can make his own mistakes," she says, sorting through the dirty and clean clothes on the bed.

"Okay," Jo sighs with exasperation," Just, who is she?"

Cersei sighs and turns to her girl, running her fingers through her short hair, "Her name is Daenerys Targaryen. She's a publicist from King's Landing, your father hired her to do some marketing for the brewery. If you ask me she's trying to sell herself harder than the brand." A sickeningly high-pitched giggle carries through the open window from the back garden. Cersei contains the scoff but not the eyeroll.

"Cers. What does Dad want to talk to me about?" Joanna pleads, giving Cersei her best puppy-dog eyes.

Cersei runs her fingers through the girl's hair again, "Your father wants to tell you himself, baby, but I will tell you that I don't trust that little slip of a woman."

Jo looks up at Cersei and can feel the strange mixture of concern and anger on her own face. She doesn't want Dad to be with anyone besides Mother, but finds herself irritated that this strange woman thinks she's better than her father and she can just use him. "Do you think she even really cares about him?" Jo asks.

Cersei sighs again and turns her back to continue sorting the laundry, so Jo picks up Cat's camera from the desk to spy on Dad and this 'Daenerys.' "Look, all I'm saying is your father is not some kind of suave, debonair, bachelor of the month type of man. So I'm asking myself, what's this pretty young thing doing giggling and batting her eyelashes for a guy almost twice her age that walks around with his tie loose eating a cereal bowl full of chili? Then I realize there are about a _billion_ reasons that girl is giggling, and they're all sitting down at _Lannisport Credit Union,"_ Cersei says from the other side of the room.

Jo snaps a few pictures, but she can't get a shot of the woman's face as her back is turned to the window while she canoodles Dad. Dad rubs his hands up and down the woman's back with a big dopey grin on his face as Daenerys kisses his neck, and Jo's stomach rolls itself into a big knot.

If she was hungry before she definitely isn't know. Jo turns away from the window and puts the camera back on the desk. "So you think she's after his money? Gods, Cers, what are we gonna do?" Jo asks, frantic.

Cersei crosses the room to her again, putting both hands on her shoulders, "Honey, I don't know if there's anything you or I _can_ do. Like I said, he's a big boy and he can make his own mistakes, and then clean up his own mess when it blows up in his face. Okay, Pumpkin?" Cersei runs her fingers through her hair and boops her on the nose, Jo can't help but laugh a little. Cersei is kind like Mother, but sassy, Jo can see where Cat gets it from now. She's glad Cat had Cersei growing up.

Jo sighs and nods reluctantly once Cersei's words sink in, before disregarding them completely. There's nothing wrong with Jo making sure Dad sees his own mistakes before he makes them, but she nods anyway and says, "Okay."

Cersei cups her cheek and leans down to kiss the top of her head, "There's a love," she says, stroking her thumb over her cheek before she pulls away. Cersei takes the laundry downstairs, and Jo gets ready to go down to the pool to meet _Daenerys Targaryen_.

Jo puts on a blue one piece and slips her oversized _J. Lannister Architecture_ t-shirt over it before tying her hair back. She slides on her flip-flops and heads down to the pool.

Dad is sitting at the foot of one of the lounge chairs when she comes down and stands to greet her when he hears the patio door close behind her, "Hey, Princess. Come here, there's someone I want you to meet."

Jo walks over and stands in front of Dad, twiddling her fingers nervously behind her back as she faces the woman hidden under a large black sunhat with a red ribbon, lounging on the chaise next to the one her father had occupied. "Cat, this is Daenerys Targaryen. She's been working with me on some marketing for the brewery while you were at camp," Dad says, she can hear the smile on his lips and she has to bury her grimace.

As dramatically as possible, as if she were in slow motion, the woman in question looks up to appraise Jo from underneath the brim of her massive hat. Jo's stomach drops again, like she's on a roller coaster. Daenerys is _beautiful_. And young. She has long, ice-blonde hair styled into soft waves beneath her hat and bright violet eyes. Her skin is creamy white and almost as light as her hair. Her lips are painted in a matte blood-red that makes her look like a vampire. Jo wonders idly how it's not all over Dad before she shakes the thought.

"Hi," Jo says tentatively. Daenerys smiles widely, with all of her perfectly straight and pearly-white teeth, setting her drink on the side table to lean forward.

"Hello, young lady. It's a pleasure to meet you," Daenerys says, softly but loud and clear at the same time, in a way that's almost abbrassive in it's insincerity, as she reaches for Jo's hand. Jo takes her hand and gives it a light shake before letting go. Looking up to Dad, Daenerys says, "Jaime, she's absolutely beautiful," pressing her lips together in a softer, slightly less threatening in Jo's opinion, smile.

Jo looks up to Dad as well, who is _blushing_ for the Gods sake, he bows his head to kiss her temple and gives her shoulders a squeeze. "Thank you. She's my number one girl." Daenerys' face twitches for the barest split of a second before she's smilling with all her teeth again. Jo rolls her eyes behind her sunglasses and tries her hardest not to openly scowl at the woman.

"You know, the way your father talks about you I pictured a little girl, but you are so grown up," Daenerys says, looking at Jo again.

Jo shifts her weight to the other foot, "I just turned twelve in May. How old are you?"

Daenerys chuckles like she's endlessly amused by the question before answering, "Twenty-six."

"Hey! Only fourteen years older than me! How old are you again, Dad?" Jo snarks, he turned forty in March.

"Wow," Dad exclaims, "Suddenly you're so interested in math. Listen, I'm going to to go get a bottle of something special from the cellar, maybe another bowl of chili, and when I get back we can celebrate." Dad pats her shoulders and turns on his heel to walk back into the house.

Jo turns her back to Daenerys and pulls her t-shirt over her head, leaving it in a pile by the edge of the pool, laying her sunglasses on top and taking off her flip-flips to sit on the edge of the pool. "So what are we celebrating?" Jo asks, eyeing Daenerys over her shoulder.

Daenerys falters for a fraction of a moment before answering, "Your homecoming, of course! So you and your dad are pretty close, huh?"

Jo stands again, "Closer than close, we're like each other's best friend, practically all the other has!" Daenerys opens her mouth to reply but Jo canonballs into the pool. It's a messy entry, Jo hears Daenerys shriek when she surfaces. "Sorry! Did I get you wet, Ner?"

Daenerys huffs a dry laugh as she pats herself down with a towel, "Just a little, _Cat_ ," she says with thinly veiled venom.

Jo swims over to a large floating ring, ducking under the water before swimming up through the hole and wraping her arms over one side to face Daenerys again. Daenerys takes her hat off and sets it on the towel she had to used to pat herself down before coming to the edge of the pool.

"Hey," Daenerys bends down and puts her hand on her knees, "Your daddy took me riding the other day and he let me ride your horse, I hope that's okay," she says with a saccharine smile.

Jo shrugs and gives an affirmative nod, "Sure, Blackie is used to strangers riding him. Not that you're strange or anything, in fact, compared to the others you're perfectly normal," she says, with a saccharine smile of her own.

Daenerys cocks a brow and straightens back up, crossing her arms, "Others? What others?"

"Do you want the 4-1-1?" Jo asks seriously.

"What's the 4-1-1?" Daenerys asks, her smile growing venomous with her impatience.

"Information. The low-down on all the other women. I'd certainly be curious if I was number twenty-eight, I mean twenty-nine, in a man's life," Jo says, settling on a random number. As far as Cat has told her, Jaime Lannister hasn't had a _girlfriend_ since he and their mother got divorced, he's been on _dates_ but it's never gone on for longer than a second.

Daenerys' eyebrows climb towards her hairline, "I'm number twenty-nine?"

Jo sighs dramatically, "Yeah, and it's always the same. Dinners out, dancing, moonlight swims, horseback riding through the hopfields, followed by a bottle of his 'special reserved' wine."

Dad comes back to the pool with a bottle of such in hand and, ignorant to the conversation, declares, "I'm back, I pulled a bottle from my special reserve; a great, vintage Arbor Gold." Jo cocks her eyebrow at Daenerys and shrugs her shoulders like, _what'd I tell ya?_

Daenerys cocks her head and presses her lips together, displeased but hiding it well. Not well enough for Jo to miss it, but Dad sails right passed it, "So, did you two find something to talk about while I was gone?"

In lieu of answering Jo lets go of the ring to plug her nose and sink below the water.

Jaime huffs a laugh at his little girl and turns to his young flame, "Does that mean yes?"

Daenerys scrunches her nose and feigns amusement, "It sure does," she says, leaning in and stealing a peck from his lips. _Before the redheaded demon resurfaces,_ she thinks.

*********

Cat is sat in Mother's window seat having tea as she answers questions about her time at camp, when Stannis knocks lightly on the cracked bedroom door. "Come in," Mother calls.

Stannis comes into the room and holds Cat's stuffed wolf up by a paw like he's offended by it. She is rather dirty and threadbare, but Cat has been sleeping with it for as long as she could remember. "I found a stowaway in your suitcase," he says.

"Oh Gods, Lady," Cat mutters under her breath.

"Lady?" Sansa asks, looking between her daughter and Stannis.

"Um, she belongs to my friend, Mildred, the one I was telling you about. I can't imagine how she got into my suitcase," Cat fibs.

"Well, since it's not our Lady, shall we dispose of the poor thing?" Stannis asks.

"No!" Cat shouts, pushing herself up from her seat, "I mean, no, of course not. She really loves this thing, she's had her for as long as she can remember. She would be devestated, I couldn't do that to poor Mildred, she's probably worried sick as it is. I'll mail Lady to her myself, it's the least I could do. Thank you, Stannis," she says, looking up at Stannis with a forced smile. Stannis looks to Mother, who shrugs, so he does the same and takes his leave. The telephone in Mother's bedroom rings, which is her private line, so she stands to answer it.

While Mother chats on the phone Cat wanders over to her vanity. She admires the selection of various perfumes in intricate little glass bottles. There's a lamp beside the mirror that has crystal prisms hanging from it like a chandelier. They catch the light and cast rainbows over the cream colored walls. Cat runs her finger through the crystals gently, making them clink against each other and sing with the impact.

"Are you sure you can't manage on your own? Well, Jojo just got back from camp," Cat overhears Mother say into the line, she looks over her shoulder as Mother listens to the reply. "All right, hold on," she says into the phone before cupping her hand over the mouthpiece and turning to her. "Jojo, would you hate to come to the studio with me?"

Cat feels herself light up, "No, I'd love to," she says excitedly.

Sansa gives her little girl a soft smile and nods, "Go freshen up and I'll meet you downstairs, love," she says with a tilt of her head towards the bedroom door before going back to her phone call.

Cat nods excitedly and goes to change. Cat walks into Joanna's room for the first time since she's arrived and goes right to the closet. Flipping through outfit after outfit she's confounded, _Why does a twelve year old, let alone_ my twin, _dress like a politician's wife?_

Eventually she finds a powder blue suit that Cat finds she actually quite likes, she'd rather dress like the politician than the wife, anyway. When she's changed and her hair is pulled back with a matching headband she makes her way back downstairs. Mother is standing in the foyer, in the same simple black dress she had been wearing with a grey trenchcoat over it, her purse over one shoulder and portfolio under the other arm.

"Come on, love, let's not keep them waiting too long. Apparently they can't survive a single day without me," Mother snarks. A laugh barks out of Cat unexpectedly before she bounds the rest if the way down the stairs.

Sansa puts her arm around her baby's shoulders when she reaches her, pulling her into a side-hug, she really is over the moon to have her little girl back. Sansa presses a kiss to the top of her little girl's head before steering them out the front door and down the steps.

The whole walk to the studio Cat chats about her time at camp, while trying not to give too many details, which is harder than she'd thought it would be. The half hour walk to Mother's studio through downtown White Harbor passes quickly, Cat utterly giddy that she gets to walk around Mother's hometown, _holding her hand_. Mother never felt real to her until now, it still doesn't feel entirely real if Cat is honest with herself.

She worries she'll blink and wake up from what has been an incredible dream, and it makes her squeeze Mother's fingers with her own, to make sure she's _real._ Mother slows down to look over at her with a bemused smile and Cat just beams back up at her, Mother nods and resumes her previous pace until they come to a stop in front of _S. Stark._

Cat pulls Mother towards the single large display window beside the front door to peer up at the dressed manequin. The manequin is posed with a hand on it's hip and the other outstretched below the lips, palm up like it was blowing something away in the wind. The dress is floor-length and made of a dark forrest green crushed velvet, with a long train that puddles around the feet of the manequin and a deep v-cut in front that goes nearly down to the navel. There's a large, black faux-fur collar that tapers all the way down the front with the v-cut, and a pack of direwolves running through the forest embroidered in silver thread along the bottom.

"You designed that?" Cat asks in awe.

Mother chuckles, "Of course I did, I had to do _something_ while you were away."

Cat bites her lip and looks up to Mother, "You know what you should try to design, that I bet you'd be really good at?"

Sansa cocks an eyebrow at her little girl, "What would that be?"

"Wedding gowns! You make dresses fit for queens, Mum, you could design a _killer_ wedding gown," Cat says, beaming up at Mother.

Sansa huffs a half-laugh, half-scoff, _Wedding gowns, for the Gods' sake._ "You know what, I think that time change has made you a little loopy. Come on, let's see what all the fuss is about." Sansa puts her arm around her little girl's shoulder and steers her towards the door with a fond shake of her head.

Mother opens the door and ushers Cat in front of her, and Cat looks around in awe, smiling so wide she hopes it hides her shock. Jo didn't have any pictures to show her of Mother's workspace, Cat didn't have any of Dad's either, but she hardly ever went to the office with him anymore so the two girls decided it wasn't important. In hindsight, Cat wishes she were at least a little prepared.

The interior of the building is mostly varying shades of grey with pops of different shades of blue for color, the floors are a smoky grey marble with veins of silver here and there throughout. The big reception desk in the middlle of the entryway is wood, painted a lighter grey with silver trim. A cheery young woman with short, mousy-brown hair sits behind the desk and waves enthusiastically at Cat. Cat doesn't recognize her or know her name but smiles and waves back.

Mother leads her passed the main space, filled with drafting tables and people sketching away designs at them while some people mingle, comparing designs around them, until they make it to the staircase that leads up to the studio. Mother climbs the stairs with purpose and lets go of her hand to push through the doors at the head of the landing.

"Okay, I'm here," Mother declares, cool as a cucumber, and Cat chuckles into her hand as multiple people around the room deflate with releif at her mother's appearance.

"Oh, thank Gods," a young woman with blonde hair in a stylish pixie cut mutters, straightening up from being bent over a drafting table with various designs spread all over it, "We're finalizing the line-up for Winterfell Fashion Week and we're stuck on the final outfit. We all decided on the Winter Rose gown for the grand finale but we can't agree on how to accessorize."

Sansa walks over to gaze down at the desgins littering the table before her, looking up to the model currently being fitted in the gown. The Winter Rose gown is one of Sansa's personal favorites. It's a beautiful piece; floor-length, sleeveless, made of ice-white silk with true-blue winter roses hand-embroidered along the bottom, the scooped neckline and plunging back. It's simple but elegant, there are a few pieces Sansa thinks would work to tie the look together, without hiding any of the more important details. "What have you tried so far?"

"We tried a cloak, but it covers the back of the gown. We tried the white silk ballroom gloves, which looked alright but it was still missing something, so we added a winter rose crown and then it felt like we were playing up the roses too much. We've been stuck since then," the blonde designer answers, and a young man with spikey black hair nods along beside her.

Sansa hums, walking towards the model wearing the gown and doing a circle around her, "I say we keep the gloves, the crown is a bit too much, but it is still missing something. Jojo, darling, grab me a wrap from one of the racks? A blue one."

Cat perks up and points a finger to her chest, "Me?"

Sansa chuckles at her baby girl, "Yes, you. From that rack in the corner there, please, love," she says, pointing to the one in the far corner near the windows.

Cat gives Mother a beaming smile before dashing for the rack. She debates over her choice, all the wraps on this wrack are blue but some are small and others big; made of silk and cashmere wool and faux-fur. There's a long fluffy one that Cat can't take her eyes off of, she grabs that one and another made of silk and takes them back to Mother for her to make the final decision.

Sansa smiles down at her baby girl when she comes back with a fluffy faux-fur wrap that's a less saturated blue and a silk one that's closer to the true-blue of the roses on the gown. Personally, she thinks the more understated blue of the fluffy faux-fur wrap would make the embroidery on the gown stand out more, but she leaves the choice up to her baby. "Which one do you like best?"

Cat looks between the two wraps again and goes with her gut, "The fluffy one," she says, beaming up at Mother.

Sansa smiles down at her daughter, "Me too," she says, taking the faux-fur wrap. Sansa drapes the wrap over the model's arms so it rests across each of her elbows and against her lower back, showing off the front and back of the dress, as well as the gloves.

She also takes the liberty to shift the model's hair over each shoulder before fluffing the long chocolate brown waves. "We may be able to keep the crown if we do her hair up in a half-do. Nothing too intricate, maybe a bun with a few braids on each side, make it less Northron Princess and more Northron Warrior Queen."

"I love that!" The blonde designer exclaims and Cat chokes down a laugh. Sure, Mother is obviously a genius and very talented, but how did these people not come up with that on their own? The way Mother explains it makes it seem so obvious.

_I guess that what makes her so good,_ Cat thinks, _she makes everything she suggests seem like the obvious choice. Gods, could that be why Dad let her leave?_

Sansa takes the flower crown from the model's head so the on-site stylist can re-do her hair, and to really top off the look, she clasps a thin choker of braided white leather around her throat. Once her hair is finished and the crown placed back on her head, Sansa steps back to take in the whole look and decides if they try to add anything else it will stray from her original vision. She nods to herself, "Excellent. Is there anything else I should look at?"

Cat sits back and watches Mother in action as she directs the photographer in taking a few test shots of the look she created, "Mum is _way_ too cool," she mumbles to herself in her own accent. Mother looks over the head of the photographer, like she heard her, and sends a wink in her direction just like Dad does and it makes Cat's tummy flutter. _They have so much in common, there has to be hope,_ Cat thinks.

Sansa gets all the shots she'd wanted of the Winter Rose look and flips through them before going over the shots from earlier today with the photographer. Making a few notes to her designers on various outfits, that they promptly write down, Sansa decides she's spent enough time here. They still have a few weeks for final touches, and she'd like to get a late lunch with her baby girl. "Jojo, honey, are you hungry?"

Cat perks up in her seat by the window, "Starved. The food on the plane was dreadful," she says with a chuckle.

Sansa chuckles as well, striding across the room to her daughter. "Come on, then, let's get a late lunch and do some shopping, hmm?"

Cat stands with a nod, taking Mother's extended hand. "That sounds lovely," she says, beaming up at her mother. Cat can hardly believe her luck. Not only do she and Mother get to have lunch, just the two of them, but shopping too!

Sansa waves goodbye to everyone before smiling down at her baby girl, "Let's go," she says, giving her girl a wink which earns her a beaming smile in return. They leave the studio hand in hand and head down the stairs, waving to the receptionist as they leave.

Mother leads her to a cute little cafe just around the corner from her studio and they take a table outside. Cat decides now is a good time to ask her about how she met Dad. "Mother, can I ask you a somewhat personal question?"

Sansa feels her brows lift with curiousity, "I suppose. What's your question?"

Cat clears her throat, nervously picking at her fingernails since she can't bite them, "How did you and Daddy meet?"

Sansa almost chokes on her water, but she swallows before clearing her throat, "We were on a cruise of the Free Cities, we met in line for the dinner buffet the first night aboard. He and I spent that whole night together, and every night after that. We got married on the boat when we were docked in Lys." Against her will Sansa's throat gets thick with the last few words. She clears her throat again and looks back up at her little girl, who is watching her with a mixture of awe and pity painted over her features. Sansa forces a small smile for her daughter's benefit.

Cat tries to smile at Mother but it feels like a grimace, "That sounds awfully romantic," she says quietly, not sure what else to say. "What was he like?"

Sansa feels a wistful smile cross her lips, "Dashing. Every bit the gentleman. Tall, broad-shouldered with his incredible blonde hair and green eyes. You have his eyes, even the way they crinkle at the corners when you smile nice and wide," she says, peeking at her little girl from under lashes, she looks like she wants to laugh and cry at the same time. "More than anything he was kind. Real. Until he wasn't anymore, but without him I wouldn't be where I am now. I wouldn't have you." Sansa reaches for her baby girl's hand over the table.

Cat takes Mother's hand over the table and a sob breaks free, tears slipping down her cheeks as she clenches her eyes shut. She almost confesses everything right then and there. Cat _isn't_ Jo, and Mother has no idea. Cat wants Mother to know, wants to be accepted and loved by her for who she _actually_ is.

Sansa scoots her chair closer to her baby girl to put an arm around her shoulders, "Oh, darling, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all that, but you should know that your father is a good man and he loves you. Wherever he is I'm sure he thinks about you every day, Jojo."

Cat sniffles and shakes her head, leaning her head on Mother's shoulder, "No, I'm glad to know. I just wish we could all be together," she says quietly, she feels Mother tense underneath her for a split second before relaxing again and putting her chin on top of Cat's head.

Sansa feels her heart shatter in her chest at her daughter's words. _My fault, it was all my fault._ The words almost burst out of her, but she swallows them down with bile, rests her chin on top of her little girl's head and strokes her back in a comforting gesture. Her eyes prickle with the heat of oncoming tears, but none come. Sansa hasn't shed a tear over Jaime Lannister in almost ten years, however those first couple years were pretty touch-and-go.

Cat wipes her cheeks and lifts her head to give Mother a somewhat more convincing smile, "Thank you for telling me, Mother. I hope we can talk about him more often."

Sansa nods and strokes her hand over her baby's hair, "Of course, baby, and I understand. We can try," she says softly. The waiter comes a moment later and Sansa orders lunch for them both.

Mother sits silently after she orders their lunch and Cat takes the few moments to process what she's been told. _What did Mother mean when she said Dad was real until he wasn't? Dad is the most genuine person I've ever known, honest to a fault, wears his emotions comfortably on his face and his heart on his sleeve. What isn't real about that? Though I suppose it's been a long time since they were married, he could have grown from the person he was, into a better person. Someone Mother deserves. Maybe there was a time when Dad wasn't himself, and them getting divorced made him come back to who he's always been._

Sansa sits quietly once the young waiter takes his leave after taking their lunch order, wondering why she told her baby girl so much about the man whose heart she likely shattered. She hasn't spared much time for thought of her ex-husband in the last decade, but since the day she put her little girl on a plane across the continent to go to summer camp, he's taken up residency in the back of her mind. _Is he still as beautiful as I remember him to be? I heard about his father's passing a few years ago, did it he handle it all right? Did Catelyn ever get to spend time with her grandfather? Does Jaime ever mention me or Joanna? Gods, it would be awful if Catelyn knew about her twin while Jojo was still blissfully ignorant._

These thoughts have plagued her for the last eight weeks. She had hoped with the return of her little girl they would subside, since she wasn't alone anymore, but it seems as though her daughter had done some thinking of her own while she was away. It shouldn't come as a surprise, she's almost a teenager, and Sansa has avoided the subject since she was in pre-school when she asked who her father is.

The guilt eats at Sansa, not only did she wreck her marriage over a, likely hormonal, tantrum; she single-handedly ensured her own daughter would have abandonment issues as she got older. _They._ _Both_ of her daughters. As _they_ got older. To this day Sansa hasn't gotten up the courage to tell Joanna about Catelyn, can't imagine how much her baby girl would hate her for taking her away from her father _and_ her very own twin.

Sansa has to take a moment from her own thoughts and take a deep breath, it almost hitches on a sob, but she breathes through it and clears her throat in time for the waiter to come back with their lunch. Sansa plasters on a polite smile as he sets down their plates, mutters 'Thank you.' The young man gives her a nod and takes his leave once again.

Cat and Mother eat in silence, stealing glances at each other across the table. Normally Cat wouldn't want to eat under such emotional circumstances, but she really was starving, so instead she practically inhales her salad and poached salmon. Mother takes dainty bites, chewing slowly as she's still lost in thought. Cat sucks on the lemon that came on her plate and sips her sparkling water until Mother is finished.

Sansa has completely lost her appetite by the time her plate is set in front of her, but she takes methodical bites, chewing slowly as thoughts of Jaime and the daughter she left behind chase each other through her mind. Eventually Sansa has had enough of the charade and notices her growing girl finished her lunch already, she catches her eyes across the table and smiles around the lemon wedge in her teeth. Sansa can't help but return her smile. "Still up for some shopping?"

Cat gives Mother another small smile before putting the lemon wedge back on the side of her plate and shaking her head, "Mayhaps we could go tomorrow? I think I'd like to go home and have a bath before supper."

Sansa smiles and nods, "Of course, baby. A bath does sound rather lovely." Sansa gets money from her clutch and puts it under her empty water glass, leaving a generous tip before standing and putting her coat back on. "Shall we?" Sansa asks, extending a hand to her little girl.

Cat takes Mother's hand with a smile, standing from her chair to leave the cafe.

*********

When the clock strikes midnight Jo immediately dials her home number in White Harbor, praying to the Gods Stannis picks up, if Mother picks up she's sure she'll burst into tears after the day she's had. Having dinner with Dad and Daenerys was a sickening affair. The way Dad would make moon-eyes at her and kiss her hand was enough to make her gag. Cersei eyeing her suspiciously across the table didn't help, every time Jo caught Cers' eyes she would force a smile and choke down another bite until she begged to be excused.

Dad let her go without a fight, assuring he'd be up to say goodnight before he and Daenerys went out _dancing. Ughck!_

She needs to talk to Cat, the earliest she could have rang was eleven p.m. her time, seven a.m. in White Harbor, but Cers had still been awake. Jo paces the length of Cat's room with the cordless phone pressed to her ear until she hears the telltale click of the other end being picked up.

_"Stark residence, Stannis speaking."_

"Stannis!" Jo gasps excitedly, in her own accent, before clamping a hand over her lips for her error.

_"Jojo?"_ Stannis asks with confusion, and Jo smacks herself. She barely makes out Cat in the background saying, _"Yes, Stannis,"_ the lifesaver she is. Next Jo hears is the rustle of fabric, likely Stannis pressing the phone to his shoulder.

_"_ _My apologies, to whom did you wish to speak?"_ Stannis asks after a moment.

"Could I speak to Joanna, please? I'm a friend from camp."

_"Joanna? I-yes, of course. Just a moment, please."_ There's another rustle as he hands the phone over.

" _Hello?"_ A pause. _Oh, Mildred, darling. Hi, how are you?"_

"Mildred? _That_ is the best you could come up with?"

 _"Oh, I'm fine. Still a bit jet-lagged, you know how it is,"_ Cat trills a laugh into the phone and Jo rolls her eyes. _"Mildred, could you hold on for a moment, please?"_

"All right, but hurry, Cat. I really need to talk to you," Jo says, crossing the floor to her en suite bathroom, pulling the door closed behind her before sitting on the edge of her tub.

_"Okay, now I can talk,"_ Cat whispers in her own accent, _"Oh, my Gods, Mum is amazing! She took me to her studio and I talked with her about Dad while we were at lunch yesterday and if you ask me there is a total possibility that they-"_

"Cat, stop talking! We have a serious problem here," Jo whisper shouts.

_"What's wrong?"_

"Dad is in love!"

Cat scoffs into the phone, _"Get_ outta _here, Dad doesn't fall in love."_

Jo sighs with exasperation. "Let me tell you, he has. Her name is Daenerys Targaryen and he's always letting her kiss his neck and holding her hand and waiting on her hand and foot!"

_"Gods, he is?"_

Jo can hear the scowl on her twins face and feels it on her own, "It's disgusting. They were making moon-eyes at each other all through dinner, I could barely eat!"

Cat gags dramatically into the phone, _"Well you just have to break them up, sabotage, do whatever you have to!"_

Jo rolls her eyes, "I plan on it but I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here, I only met the man twelve hours ago. I think you should bring mother out here right away and we can figure it out together!"

Cat gasps indignantly, _"No! We've only had one day together, I can't this soon, I won't."_

Jo groans, "Cat, just please listen to me. We have to do it sooner or later anyway and if we don't nip this Daenerys situation in the bud I'm afraid something bad is going to happen!"

_"Jo, I need more time with Mum. I'll figure something out soon, I swear."_

Jo sighs, "Cat, I need you here, will you just please-" she's cut-off by the sound of rustling and static, "Cat, are you still there?"

_"Are you there, Jo? I can barely hear you,"_ Cat says, while rubbing a candy wrapper over the mouthpiece.

"I'm here, just-" Jo starts only to be cut-off again.

_"I think I'm losing you, Jo. Hello? Hello?"_ Cat hangs up before Jo can say anything more.

Jo takes the cordless phone away from her ear to stare at it sullenly, the dial tone still ringing in her ears before pressing the end call button. "Thanks for the help, Cat," she sighs.

_Gods, what are we going to do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this long ass chapter makes up for not updating in over a month! Cheers!


End file.
